Smuggler of Shadows Book 5 - Vendetta
by Kadirika7211
Summary: Set between Episodes 3 & 4. Kadira Sal is a Mandalorian smuggler who has been drawn into the world of snatching beings out of the Empire's grasp. Pursued by the Empire, she has been struggling to stay unnoticed and forgotten. Now, she must deal with a new threat as an old enemy is revealed, and everything she cares about is placed in danger. Rated T for some violence.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So this is the fifth story in a series of Fanfics. I'd highly recommend reading the others first, as this one will contain spoilers for the previous ones (also, the backstory will make more sense), but it's not absolutely necessary if you're determined not to :)_

_Disclaimer- I own nothing Star Wars. It all belongs to Disney, its respective creators, etc. All I own are the characters I've created and the plotline I've come up with :)I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**Coruscant-**

Some claimed Coruscant was the jewel of the Empire, a shining example to the rest of the galaxy. Certainly the people of Coruscant thought so. It was the center of the Galactic Empire, home to the Emperor himself and to the waning Senate. One giant city, filled with every species imaginable. They said it was a place of commerce and elegance, a place the rest of the galaxy should emulate. But to him, it was just another planet. He had seen the lower levels that most tourists didn't even know existed. He had hunted there, slept there, _lived_ there. And it disgusted him. All of it. These people were weak, living in either luxury or crime. They were so focused on their own tiny lives, their own planet, that they had forgotten it was far from invincible. But Shaen Mog was indifferent to them, to their lives and their views on the galaxy. If they wanted to live in ignorance, let them. It would earn them a rude awakening one day.

Shaen nestled his rifle further into his shoulder, banishing the thoughts from his mind as his target came into view. He watched through the magnifying scope as a green-gold armored Mandalorian woman checked her ship over one last time, no doubt making certain any security measures it had were firmly in place. He waited patiently as Kadira Sal walked around her ship, disappearing from sight for a few seconds. When she came back around she seemed satisfied, checking the holster at her side to be sure her pistol was there. Shaen used his helmet's systems to zoom, looking at the make of the blaster for a moment, frowning when he realized it was a modified scout model. No trigger, just a pressure pad that was used to fire. Not exactly the most popular choice among Mandos, and neither was the vibrosword strapped to her back. His contact had never mentioned it, just saying she carried an illegal DC-17. Not surprising that she wasn't packing it on Coruscant, but still… The vibrosword was an unusual choice for someone wearing heavy armor.

Kadira moved off a few steps, breaking his train of thought and causing his finger to tighten ever so slightly on the trigger. It wasn't the plan, but plans had to be adaptable in order to work. Kadira placed one hand to the side of her helmet subtly, as if speaking on a comm link. Shaen tensed, knowing she was using a HUD system not unlike his own to scan her surroundings. He had chosen his vantage point carefully, but there was always a chance her systems could pick up on his own tech.

She dropped her hand from her helmet, obviously unconcerned, and Shaen slid his finger off the trigger carefully. It wouldn't do to have an accident now. He kept her in his sights as she began walking, careful to avoid the small pockets of gang members scattered on nearby street corners. She was obviously trying to keep as low of a profile as she could, avoiding conflict where possible. A weequay stopped and turned to stare, obviously nervous at the sight of the Mandalorian woman, but Kadira simply walked on, ignoring the reaction. She definitely wasn't a bounty hunter, then. Not if she was willing to ignore a reaction like that, and there was no way she was ignorant of it. Not with the wraparound view her HUD provided her with. No, his guess was that she just wasn't interested. She was here for a different reason. He smiled grimly within the confines of his helmet and settled down to wait.

She would be back, and then everything would fall into place.

* * *

Kadira Sal sighed as she made her way through the crowded streets of Coruscant, missing Keldabe already. She didn't like the city, especially here in the lower levels. Everything was claustrophobic, making her feel like the Emperor himself were breathing down her neck. Gang members were present on almost every corner, watching the crowd for some target that would be an easy hit. There was even the occasional group of stormtroopers, usually moving quickly. This was a place where they had little power, and that made them nervous. Jett, a former clone trooper turned Imperial fugitive, had recently told Kadira how they used to always walk in groups here, never venturing anywhere by themselves for fear of being jumped and overpowered, usually killed. Looking around, Kadira could see why. Ironic, how the Emperor claimed to be in control of the entire galaxy – never mind the growing rumors of a rebellion – and yet he wasn't even fully in control of his own planet.

"Politicians," she muttered under her breath, ducking around a rather irritated looking Wookiee who was haggling with a droid vendor.

In all, the city just felt _oppressive_. She couldn't wait to get this rescue over with. It was an easy job, just an extraction of a nervous senator, but something about it now had Kadira feeling uneasy. She had the distinct feeling of being watched, though she had yet to pick up anything on her scans. Not to mention the last senator Kadira had been sent to rescue had shot her in the back and turned out to be an Imperial agent. Not exactly an experience she wanted to live through a second time.

"Any news, Ran?" she asked into the comm embedded in her helmet, wondering if Ran Scorlo was even paying attention. He was the boss of this whole operation, deciding who would be rescued and when, leaving the _how_ to her. She frowned when she got no answer from him. "Ran?"

No signal came from her comm and she felt her frown deepen. Something definitely wasn't right here. But she could hardly turn back now. She had a fugitive waiting for her, one who was frightened that their time with the Empire was running out. She couldn't exactly abandon them to their fate, not after promising a rescue.

"_Shab_, Ran, you better not have gotten me into something we can't handle," she murmured, glancing at the faces around her with even more caution than before. "Because I'm really getting sick of being shot at."

* * *

Kadira waited silently for the senator, glancing up at the ruins of the former Jedi Temple a short distance away. It was patrolled by Shadow stormtroopers, dressed entirely in black and making use of some sort of cloaking device. She had glimpsed them using her HUD only occasionally, a testament to the quality of their tech. Though why they were guarding the building still was beyond her. If they were really worried they ought to have just torn it down, instead of letting it stand as a silent reminder of the Jedi of the past.

Kadira frowned, realizing where her train of thought was leading. It was an old question, one she had buried along with the rest of her past. Were the Jedi all the Empire said they had been? Or had her father been correct, all those years ago on Corellia? He had said that the victors often rewrote history to their own advantage, painting the vanquished to look far different than they had been in reality. He had cautioned her then not to make snap judgements, as she was sure he would caution her now if he were still alive.

She sighed, shaking off the thought. It didn't much matter anymore. Her job was to rescue a senator and smuggle him off Coruscant. She would leave it to the scholars to figure out whether or not history had been rewritten.

A noise from the shadows caught her attention and she turned slightly, tilting her helmeted head in the direction of the sound as she leaned back against a rickety railing.

"Ready to come out now?" she asked wryly. "Or are you going to stand there and watch me for another fifteen minutes?"

There was a second's hesitation before a figure stepped out of the shadows, the cowl of a dark cloak pulled up to hide the figure's face.

"…Kadira Sal, I presume?" the figure ventured finally.

Kadira was silent a moment before she sighed and pushed herself off the railing.

"You're not the Senator," she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, silently cursing Ran. "Sithspit, is _anyone_ a senator anymore? I mean, an honest-to-goodness senator, not just an imposter pretending to be a senator. Because there _is_ a difference."

"How do you know?" the figure asked, taking a step back.

"Well for starters, if you're going to try to impersonate someone, at least make sure they're the same gender as you. Because unless the senator's voice has gotten quite a bit higher and more feminine, then I'd say it's a safe bet that you are not him. Not to mention he's a twi'lek, not a togruta….Fierfek. I'm going to kill Ran."

"It's not Scorlo's fault," a deeper voice accompanied a second figure out of the shadows. Kadira pulled her pistol without thinking, startled. "You can holster your weapon, I'm not here to harm you."

"How in the name of _te Manda_ did you manage to sneak up on me?" Kadira's tone was low and dangerous, and her pistol remained pointing at him without wavering.

"Just a piece of advanced tech, something you should appreciate," the male spoke again, reaching up to remove his hood.

"I don't appreciate anything that leaves me in the dark," Kadira replied. The figure simply shrugged and pulled his hood down, revealing himself to be the twi'lek senator Kadira was supposed to be extracting.

"You'll forgive the deception. I had no way of knowing if you would take my friend on board if you knew the truth, and she has to get off of Coruscant."

"…Scorlo knew about all of this, didn't he?" Kadira asked slowly, holstering her pistol but resting her hand on it just in case.

The twi'lek nodded in affirmation. "He thought the deception would be best. This is Kahlse, you'll hopefully be smuggling her off planet."

"So now I'm too childish to make my own decisions. Fantastic," Kadira sighed. "Alright, what is it I'm supposed to oppose doing so much that even Ran thinks I should be kept in the dark?"

The senator glanced at the still-hooded togruta, finally sighing and giving her a nod. The young woman reached up and removed her hood, revealing the intricate white and red marks of her race. She was thin, with sweeping white patches over her eyes that gave her the illusion of a mask, along with a number of thinner lines along her cheekbones. Her headtails were not full length, indicating that she was young, probably still in her teens.

"Why do you have to get off Coruscant so badly?" Kadira asked finally, using her helmet's systems to scan the woman's face and look for any matches on the holonet. None came up.

"…She's a force- sensitive," the senator said finally. "I've hidden her as long as I can, but people are starting to notice… That's why your comms are down. I didn't want you to be able to call a patrol, if you decided not to help."

"Great. I'm a snitch as well as a coward now," Kadira let out an explosive breath. "…Do you have any idea what would happen if I was caught smuggling her offworld? If the Empire got its hands on her-"

"They can't," Kahlse spoke up, glancing between the Senator and Kadira. "It's a risk I have to take. I can't stay in this city it's… it's stifling. There's so much darkness here," she trailed off, rubbing her forehead with one hand as if even talking about it gave her a headache.

Kadira let out a slow breath. "…_Shab_," she said finally, shaking her head. "Why did you bring her this close to the temple? They're hunting force-sensitives, and this is the first place they're looking. We're going to have to get out of here, and do it quickly. The last thing we need is Imps on our tail when we're getting off planet. Do we have a place for you to hide, to be safe for a while? Or are we just making it up as we go?"

"Scorlo knows the location. We have a safehouse set up, and a network of smugglers like you to get her far away from this place."

But Kadira was shaking her head. "You tell me. I am not playing this game of blind corners, people get killed. You tell me where I'm flying, and you tell me how."

The Senator hesitated a moment before nodding, albeit grudgingly.

"So… You'll help?" Kahlse asked, sounding hopeful.

"I'll help," Kadira said, letting out another sigh.

"…No offense, but... why?" Kahlse ventured again, frowning. "Your kind doesn't care much for force-sensitives."

"First off, don't refer to me and my people as 'your kind'. I'm not referring to you as that, so I'd appreciate the same amount of courtesy. And second, it's _jetiise_ we don't tend to like, and we have our reasons. But to be frank, I dislike the Empire even more, and if this is how I get to thumb my nose at them then so be it," Kadira said, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing her helmeted stare on Kahlse.

The togruta teen stared back for a moment, seemingly determined to hold her gaze, before finally looking away. A staring contest with an expressionless visor was almost impossible to win, and Kadira preferred it that way.

"No more stereotypes, ok?" Kadira asked finally. "I won't assume you're like the _jetiise_ who killed my _vod_, and you don't assume that I'm some brainless _di'kut_ who can only hit things and blow stuff up. Deal?"

Kahlse hesitated a moment before offering a small smile and a nod. "Deal."

Kadira turned back to the twi'lek senator, tilting her head. "Anything else I should know?"

But the man shook his head before leaning over to embrace the young togruta. "Stay safe, young one. And find peace."

Kadira frowned at the last part, but said nothing. Perhaps it was a strange old _jetii_ saying. Stars knew they had been full of them.

"Come on, Kahlse," Kadira said finally. "Let's get you off this rock."

* * *

_A/N- As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts/opinions!_


	2. Chapter 2

Kadira glanced up at the wraparound view of her HUD, checking to be sure the young togruta was still following close behind. They were still in the lower levels of Coruscant, and Kadira was being cautious. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time on this planet, especially with a Force user for company.

"…Are you going to say anything?" Kahlse ventured, shying closer to Kadira as a particularly rough looking group of individuals passed too close for the teenager's comfort.

"Relax," Kadira admonished softly, taking Kahlse's elbow and steering her so the teen walked a few inches further away from her own armored form. "Don't let them see you nervous. It's like painting a big _shabla_ target on your forehead. And what would you like me to say? We can't exactly talk about the weather, since it's all smog and engine exhaust."

Kahlse let out a nervous laugh and Kadira smiled, glad she had gotten that much out of the girl. It was nerve wracking, walking with someone who had a death mark. Not that Kadira was in the best standing with the Empire, but at least that was because she'd stepped in their way and practically flagged them down. Kahlse, on the other hand, had been born with her sentence.

"You don't like Coruscant," it wasn't a question, and Kadira felt her smile widen further at Kahlse's tone. It was as if the girl had finally found someone of a like mind.

"I hate Coruscant," Kadira clarified, checking her HUD to be sure no one seemed to have noticed them. Though to any passersby they would probably just look like a pair of bounty hunters, or a girl and her bodyguard out to see the lower parts of the city, at worst. "It's dark, it's ugly, and it's crowded. I don't know how so many _aruetii_ stand it. There's no room to breathe, and when you _can_ breathe all you take in is smoke and smog."

"Is that why your voice sounds scratchy?" Kahlse asked, tilting her head in Kadira's direction.

Kadira laughed. "Not very tactful, are you? No, my voice isn't a mess because of Coruscant or its air. I have filters in my bucket to keep me from having to breathe that in," she explained, tapping the side of her helmet for emphasis. "No, there was an accident when I was in the Corellian military, and I came out with a scar and a scary voice, as my friend Laniff so tactfully puts it."

"Oh…" Kahlse murmured.

"Why do _you_ hate it so much?" Kadira asked, tilting her helmeted head at Kahlse questioningly. "Don't give me that look, it's not hard to see. You hate it here even more than I do."

But Kahlse just shook her head, her expression suddenly closed. Kadira waited, wondering if the girl knew how useless it was to try to out-wait someone in Mando armor. All Kadira had to do was shut off her vocoder and bring up the holonet and she could entertain herself for hours, all with Kahlse thinking Kadira was simply waiting for an answer.

"It's so… dark," Kahlse said finally, her voice much softer than before. It was almost as if she was afraid of someone overhearing her. "I feel like it's pressing in on me, suffocating me."

"Surely you've been up to the upper levels," Kadira said. "It's a lot brighter up there. Not much prettier, I admit, but still…" she trailed off as Kahlse shook her head vehemently.

"No, it's not the physical darkness. It's something else, something deeper. It's like… like there's this rage always building up, and I'm always burying it."

"That, kid, is a dangerous path to walk," Kadira said finally. "...Whoa, slow down. We've got trouble coming. No, don't turn and don't step closer to me. I'll keep you safe, you being a few centimeters closer won't help. Keep your head up and try not to look nervous… Atta girl."

Kadira glanced at her HUD's systems, noting the group of four that had started following them a few minutes back. Kadira had hoped it was just a coincidence, that they had another target in mind, but the odds of that were growing slimmer and slimmer.

"When I say, just keep walking and don't look back. I'm going to drop back and take care of them. Here, keep a hold of this comm. It connects directly to my helmet on a secure channel, use it if we get separated or you run into trouble."

"But-" Kahlse started, glancing at Kadira nervously.

"Don't argue, we don't have time for a debate. Just trust me, you'll be fine," Kadira assured her. "And… go. I'll catch up with you."

She watched as Kahlse picked up her pace ever so slightly even as Kadira slowed hers. The togruta moved on without looking back, leaving Kadira free to step into the shadows for just a moment in order to wait for the gang members to draw close enough to strike.

Kadira waited, her range finder sliding into place to give her a better view of her surroundings. The last thing she wanted was to get jumped if the gang members had multiple people waiting in the shadows. As they came within a few meters of her hiding place, Kadira stepped out of the shadows and lifted her pistol calmly, tilting her helmeted head to the side.

"Can I help you boys?" she asked, her voice holding unmistakeable danger.

* * *

Jett paced impatiently in the interior of the Vanguard, glaring as Ran Scorlo stretched and sighed, obviously unconcerned.

"We should have heard from her by now," Jett said finally, his accented voice heavy with worry. "Actually, she should have been _back_ by now. She's extracting a _Senator_, for star's sake. How hard can that be?"

"Would you calm down?" Ran said, his tone impassive. "She's fine. So her comms went down, big deal. This is Coruscant, it's not like she's in the middle of nowhere. And she knows where the _Vanguard_ is, if something goes wrong. She's fine."

"You know something more than you're saying, don't you?" Jett asked, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at Ran, who continued to avoid his gaze. "Normally you're the first to be worried. What do you know?"

Ran shrugged, apparently not willing to answer.

"Ran…"

"Don't, Jett," Ran's voice had dipped lower, holding a dangerous note it had been lacking before. "You're here because Kadira has decided to trust you, not because you've earned it. You're the one who kidnapped her and led us on a wild chase, and you're the one who held her hostage. Think on that before you decide to start questioning me and what I'm doing."

"Zip it, both of you," Laniff Dreysel, a Mandalorian and close friend of Kadira's, interrupted from the cockpit. It was amazing that he could catch any of the argument, but he seemed to be bored enough to be paying close attention. "Don't even think about coming up with a comeback, Ran. I will toss you out of this ship on your _shebs_ and let you fend for yourself out there if you start to argue with me. If Kadira's not back or in contact with us in a few minutes, we go out after her."

Laniff appeared in the doorway and leaned against the frame, fixing Ran with a no-nonsense stare. "You're not the only one with a bounty on your head, Scorlo. I really don't want to have to organize another rescue for _Kad'ika_. The last one was exhausting enough."

"You never rescued her," Jett pointed out, glad Laniff had come in and used his ever-present charm to defuse the situation. It had kept both Ran and Iam Sal, Kadira's Mandalorian father, from going too hard on Jett more than once.

Granted though, Laniff hadn't stopped the one punch Iam had thrown after the last mission, when they were all safely back on Mandalore. Neither had Kadira, actually, and after that the issue only came up occasionally. The Mandalorians took the idea of _cin vhetin_ seriously – white snow. The idea was that people were allowed to leave their past behind and make a new name for themselves. Jett wasn't a Mandalorian, not yet anyway. But Iam and Laniff had seemed willing to extend that courtesy to him, especially when Iam's punch had left Jett with a stiff jaw for three days. They seemed willing to call it even after that. Only Ran seemed determined to hold on to resentment.

"Never said I did," Laniff answered with a grin. His red and gold helmet was clipped to his side, revealing blonde hair and serious brown eyes that always seemed to carry a spark of humor. "I organized one, though, and that in itself was enough to wear me out. Good thing I never actually had to execute it."

Jett smiled wryly. "What exactly did this rescue plan entail?"

Laniff's grin widened. "Oh, you know me. Something big and noisy. Preferably resulting in a large ball of flame."

* * *

Kahlse was careful not to look back. Kadira had said to just keep walking, to avoid looking back, and the smuggler seemed to know what she was doing. Not that Kahlse could honestly tell, but it was a reassuring thought. She hadn't sensed anything bad in the Mandalorian, anyways… Though her skills weren't exactly developed, she had to admit.

Kahlse blew out a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to stop second guessing everything. She'd have to learn to trust her instincts and live without questioning them at every single turn. She might not have the benefit of a Force Master, but neither had the first Jedi. Someone had to figure it out to begin with, so why couldn't she? Granted, she didn't think she was cut out for Jedi work-

_Kahlse. Stop_, she berated herself, letting out another huffing breath of irritation. She had to be firm, not indecisive. Besides, it didn't much matter anymore if she was cut out to be a Jedi. They were gone, just a memory from the days of the Republic, back before Kahlse had even been born.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the comm clutched in her fist beeped. She managed to avoid dropping the small device and answered it, fighting the urge to look behind her.

"Kahlse? These goons are taken care of. I can see you in the crowd ahead of me, just keep going. You're doing great."

"Did you…" Kahlse had to swallow before she could ask. "Are they…?"

"They're alive," Kadira's scratchy voice assured her. "A bit scared and bruised, but nothing that will last. Though I do think I broke the one's nose... That might have been an improvement over his current looks, in my opinion. But they're alive. I don't just gun down anything that gets in my way."

Kahlse was about to reply when a figure stepped out of one of the alleys in front of her, blocking her path and pulling a pistol. Kahlse froze as time seemed to stop, the figure raising their pistol to be level with her forehead. He was a meter away, maybe less, allowing her to see the distinctive T-visor of his helmet, as well as the dull near-black paint of his armor.

"Kahlse!" Kadira's voice came over the comm, sharp and urgent, but Kahlse barely heard it as she stared directly into the muzzle of the pistol, feeling herself begin to shake.

A shot rang out and Kahlse flinched, expecting to feel pain as her knees gave way. Instead, she saw the black armored figure stumble back a step as more shots were fired. Finally, the figure turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows as Kadira sprinted to Kahlse's side.

* * *

"_Shab_… Next time someone points a blaster at you, _move_, you _di'kut_!" Kadira admonished, inspecting the togruta for any injuries. Finding none, she helped the girl to her feet and sighed, shaking her head. "What happened?"

Kahlse stared at her, wide eyed and silent. Kadira let out a slow breath and took her helmet off, bending down slightly and placing one hand on the girl's shoulder to better look her in the eye.

"Kahlse. Kahlse, you're alright," she said, her voice remarkably gentler. She had seen shock before, and wanted to make sure Kahlse didn't slip into it. That would make getting off this planet a nightmare. "Do you hear me? It's ok."

The teen stared at her a second more before shuddering once and shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts.

"What's-" her voice cracked and she had to take a breath before she could ask again. This time her voice was shaky, but controlled. "What's a … dee-koot?"

Kadira smiled wryly and settled her helmet back into place, breathing a sigh of relief as her suit resealed with a hiss.

"An idiot," she answered. "Literally translated, it's someone who forgets their pants."

* * *

_A/N: So I wanted to post this before my life went crazy again. I'll try to keep updating consistently, but be warned there may be a few delays. As always, I love to hear from you readers :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Shaen muttered darkly under his breath as he made his way through the streets of Coruscant. He took a deep breath and flinched, muttering a curse. His whole chest hurt anytime he even tried to breathe, thanks to Sal. His _beskar'gam_ had saved him from any permanent harm, but even it couldn't protect him from severe bruising. Multiple shots from that scout blaster of Kadira's had left him cursing her each time he drew a breath.

He hadn't been expecting her reaction. Hadn't expected her to move so quickly. She was a fierfekking _smuggler_, for stars' sake, not a bounty hunter. She shouldn't have been able to react that fast. She hadn't even hesitated. She had seen him and opened fire as soon as she drew her pistol. No debate, no question of whether he was really an enemy, she had simply fired. Kadira had acted like a solider, not a smuggler, and he hadn't planned for that. Now everything might be ruined. He'd gambled, and the tables had turned in her favor. Kadira Sal was alert now, and watching.

Shaen stopped and leaned back against a rickety railing, lifting his arm to grip the opposite shoulder in an effort to relieve the throbbing pain. If he wasn't mistaken, the bolts to the chest had bruised cartilage, maybe even cracked bone.

He took a slow breath, trying to pick up the pieces of his plan to create something new, something better. Kadira would be more careful now. She'd be taking side routes, avoiding direct lines of sight where possible. But she wouldn't dispose of her armor. She needed it now more than ever, needed the protection it would offer her and her charge. Provided, of course, that she stuck to the same patterns his contact said she would.

Shaen sighed. He didn't like being in the dark, didn't like hunting a target that didn't act in set patterns. She was supposed to be the kind to run and hide, not the one who shot first.

"Spike, I'm going to kill you when I get the chance," he muttered. He wasn't fond of contacts who gave him only half the story. It was a good way to walk into a situation and get killed.

Shaen winced and shoved himself upright off the railing, clenching his teeth as the motion jarred his chest. It was time to move. If he wanted to get ahead of Kadira, he'd have to be fast.

* * *

Kadira felt a spike of adrenaline rush through her system as she glanced at her HUD for the thousandth time. She let out a slow breath when she saw nothing. Still, something felt very, very wrong here.

Kahlse had dusted herself off after her near-death experience, speculating that Coruscant's underbelly was full of unexpected dangers, but Kadira wasn't so sure. Everything about it had felt set up, like a very well placed trap. From the gang members who had drawn Kadira away and then distracted her with a seemingly pointless scuffle, to the near-black armored figure who had appeared out of the shadows. The most disconcerting thing had been the figure's T-visored helmet, identical to her own in design and distinctly Mandalorian. There was no bounty on Kahlse's head, so it was unlikely that the figure had been a competing hunter, and Kadira knew that a fellow Mando wouldn't come for the bounty on her own head. It just wasn't done.

"Left turn," she murmured to Kahlse, gently catching the girl's elbow when she started to turn to the right. "Other left, _di'kut_."

Kahlse let out a small laugh at the word, apparently buying into Kadira's light tone. She seemed unable to tap into emotions like the stories of the _jetii_ had said they could. That, or she was just so consumed by the darkness and rage she said she kept feeling that she was unable to see past them to the other feelings… The thought disturbed Kadira, she had to admit. Built up rage was dangerous for anyone, but for a force sensitive? Kadira suppressed a shiver. The stories were bad enough, and she'd rather not find out if they were true.

Kadira glanced sideways at Kahlse, glad the girl was unable to see her expression through the T-visored helmet. She had been hurrying them through the streets of Coruscant as fast as she dared, doing her best to keep Kahlse unaware while avoiding the few stormtrooper patrols. The last thing they needed with a run in with the Imps. Kadira blew out a breath and took another turn, using her HUD to keep an eye on her surroundings.

"Where's your ship?" the girl ventured finally, glancing up at Kadira with a small frown. Kadira winced, knowing the girl was beginning to realize not all was going as smoothly as Kadira was trying to imply.

"On a landing pad, further south," Kadira answered, wincing when she saw Kahlse's head snap around to face her, startled.

"But… we're going north," Kahlse pointed out, almost as if she wondered if Kadira had completely lost her mind.

Kadira sighed. Blast, she had been hoping to keep Kahlse in the dark for longer. She didn't want the girl panicking; things were hard enough now without having to deal with that on top of everything.

"… I don't think everything is as easy as it looks," she said finally. "This is all too convenient, too perfect. We need to find another way, one that throws off any pursuers… Kahlse, we're being hunted."

Kahlse swallowed, hard. "…Hunted? But… why?"

Kadira shook her head in response. "I don't know. It could be because you're a force sensitive, or it could be because of me. I don't know. But we have to keep moving, and moving fast. I didn't kill him when I shot him, he was wearing _beskar_," seeing Kahlse's confused look, she pounded one armored fist against her own breastplate. "Same as I am. It can stop blaster bolts, even a lightsaber. Apparently he was wearing it, too. Which means he's alive and he'll be coming after us again."

"So why not go straight to the ship?" Kahlse asked, starting to sound frightened. She stopped, forcing Kadira to stop as well. Kahlse looked around, as if expecting the armored man to reappear out of thin air. "We could, we could just take off and not look back. You're a smuggler, you could get us away-"

"We have to get to the ship, Kahlse," Kadira pointed out gently."We have to get there without him finding us first. He'll be watching the direct route, and if we take it then he's definitely going to find us. Our job is to find a path he won't be able to predict, and there's where Coruscant's size works in our favor… Come on, let's keep moving."

She tilted her head, waiting for Kahlse's response. The girl stared at her for a moment, before finally nodding gingerly.

* * *

_::Laniff? You reading me?::_

Laniff whistled sharply, interrupting the current debate going on between Ran and Jett. The two ignored him and Laniff sighed, getting to his feet reluctantly.

"Just a minute, _Kad'ika_, let me get these _di'kute_ to shut up," he replied, walking over to Ran and grabbing the back of his chair. Without a word he spun the chair around and shoved it into the next room. When Ran protested, Laniff palmed the door shut, cutting off whatever the man had been about to say. He removed his helmet and grinned at Jett as he transferred his helmet comm's feed to his gauntlet. "Alright, continue please."

Jett stared at Laniff, eyebrows raised, but he was wisely silent.

_::What's that banging noise?::_ Kadira asked warily.

"That would be Ran. I locked him out of the room because he wouldn't shut it. Ran! _K'uur!," _Laniff yelled, banging one fist against the door halfheartedly. "We're reading you loud and clear, _Kad'ika_. What happened? We lost your comm signal for a bit, we were just about to come after you. Everything alright?"

::_Not quite. I'll explain the details on board the _Vanguard_, but I need you and Jett to set up a full perimeter. I need everything covered. _Everything_, understand? Put Jett on sniper, he's been wanting to use a vantage point he managed to find on the _Vanguard's_ hull-::_

"_Vod_, slow down. What's going on?" Laniff asked, straightening. All sense of lightheartedness was gone as he heard the worry that bordered on fear in Kadira's voice.

_::Laniff, I don't have time. I have the target, but I need to move and move fast. We've already been attacked once and I'm willing to bet it'll happen again. These streets are a fierfekking maze. Just get me cover, _vod_. I'll get there, I just need to know that I have a safety zone once I'm back.::_

"How serious are we talking?" Jett spoke up. "Give me as much detail as you can about your attacker, it'll help us set up ample security."

_::He's a Mando. And before you ask, Laniff, I didn't recognize him. His armor was almost black, but not quite. Give me a minute and I'll send an image to your HUD. Don't expect high quality stuff, the lighting here is _osik_.::_

Laniff replaced his helmet, placing one hand to the side as he waited for the image. When it finally came, he shook his head at Jett's questioning expression.

"I don't recognize him. We'll prep for the worst, then. Stay safe, _Kad'ika_, I'll comm you when we're set up. Use one of Iam's safe houses if you need to. There's one in the lower city, should do the job. Hole up there until we have a plan," Laniff instructed.

_::_Vor'e, vod,_:: _Kadira thanked him, sounding relieved.

"Anytime. _K'oyacyi_, _vod'ika_," Laniff responded grimly. He signed off and sighed, palming the door open once more to let Ran out. "Don't start, _Mirsh'kyramud_, you were asking for it."

"What's that insult mean?" Ran asked, sounding suspicious. Laniff glanced at him, frowning. At least the man seemed to have cooled off a bit.

"You know, it's no fun when I have to translate it. Come on, you can learn _Mando'a_ insults later, believe me, I'm more than happy to call you more. But right now, Kadira's in trouble. Ran, you get to be the plan maker. As for you and I, Jett, has Kadira ever shown you the armory?"

* * *

Kahlse stared at her rescuer's silent form. Kadira had removed her helmet some time ago, no doubt for Kahlse's comfort. She found the T-visored helmet to be intimidating, even though she knew the person beneath it was doing everything possible to keep her alive.  
Kadira was cleaning her pistol, taking it apart and putting it back together again with ease. Kahlse had the sense that the woman wasn't truly paying attention to her task, but was instead lost in thought.

Kahlse shifted uncomfortably on the small, bare cot, glancing around at the room's Spartan furnishings. There was a heavy table, surrounded by four chairs. There were two cots pulled out on the floor with two more stacked against the walls, next to which was a weapons rack bristling with armaments that even Kahlse could tell were probably highly illegal.

"…Do you always take things apart when you're worried?" Kahlse asked finally as Kadira started to disassemble the weapon again.

Kadira looked up, seemingly startled. She glanced down at the weapon in her hands before making a face and sighing, putting it back together again and setting it aside.

"Sorry. Habit I picked up from a friend," she said wryly, running one hand through her hair. "How're you holding up?"

Kahlse had to listen closely to the woman's rasping voice in order to avoid missing any of her words.

"I'm… Not sure," she answered finally, softly. She looked down at her clasped hands, noticing she was shaking. "I… I'm afraid," she admitted.

Kadira's expression softened and she leaned forward, covering Kahlse's shaking hands with her own gloved ones.

"That's natural," Kadira said gently. "It's not exactly considered a calming experience to be shot at in the streets, you know."

But Kahlse jerked her hands out from beneath Kadira's, shaking her head violently.

"You don't understand! I'm not supposed to be afraid, I'm supposed to be better than that. I'm not supposed to be angry, I'm not supposed to be running away. I'm supposed to be standing there, fighting back. Fighting back against that darkness out there, against the pain and the anger and the violence and greed-!"

"Kahlse!" Kadira's voice was sharp and Kahlse jumped, stopping short.

It was only then that she realized her fists were clenched and she was standing against the wall, shaking. The table was knocked over, the chairs flung across the room. Even the weapons' rack had been knocked aside like it was a toy, scattering rifles across the floor.

Kadira had one hand out and was on her feet as well, her face concerned and… and angry. Not afraid. Kahlse felt something within her settle. She was almost expecting to see the fear appear on Kadira's face, maybe to find herself staring down the muzzle of Kadira's pistol. Instead, the woman stared at her, jaw tensed and gray eyes flashing.

"Sit down." Kadira spoke again, her voice calm and flat. Somehow that was more terrifying than a shout. "Now."

Kahlse looked around, shaking, before doing just that.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I-"

"_K'uur,_" Kadira's voice was sharper than she intended and Kahlse flinched. Kadira winced and sighed, waving one hand apologetically. "Just… hush, Kahlse," she said gently. "Let me talk, alright?"

The girl bit her lip and nodded, clasping her hands tightly in front of her, as if afraid to move.

Kadira sighed again and sat down on the second cot, opposite Kahlse. She rested her elbows on her knees, studying the girl.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what all… that was," Kadira said finally, waving one hand at the scattered furniture. "But I do know that it wasn't good. Whatever you did, whatever happened, it wasn't… right." Kahlse was silent and Kadira sighed again, rising to her feet and pacing.

"That's what you've been afraid of this whole time, isn't it?" Kadira asked. "Not this person hunting us, not the gangs or the criminals. It was this," she said, pointing to the chairs. "This is what you're so terrified of, this is what the senator was talking about, wasn't it? It wasn't that people were noticing. It was this… this planet is grating on you, isn't it?" she stopped and turned to the young togruta before her. "I thought Coruscant was bad for me, but it's worse for you, isn't it?"

Kahlse bit her lip harder before nodding, tears building up in her eyes. "I can't… I can't sleep, I can't find peace," she whispered softly. "There's always so much darkness, so much anger, and it's always there. Always waiting and I don't know what to do."

Kadira let out a slow breath and sat down again, leaning forward to look the togruta in the eye. She stared at her a moment, studying the teenager before running one hand through her hair tiredly.

"I do. We get you off this planet and away from all this… And we work on that temper of yours. It's one thing to explode like that in the middle of a safe house. It's another thing entirely when there might be people around to see it, people who would report you."

Kahlse nodded slightly. "Maybe we'll find someone who can teach me, show me how to control it."

Kadira let out a short laugh. "Oh sure, why not? We'll make the whole karking _Vanguard_ an academy…" Seeing Kahlse's face, Kadira shook her head, pointing one finger at the girl. "That was a joke. _Shab_, and I thought I was in trouble with Iam now. I can't even imagine his reaction if I hosted the next Jedi academy on my ship. I'll get you to where you need to go, Kahlse. I promise you that."

* * *

_A/N: Thanks again for being patient with me, all. I'm getting close to finals, so my schedule has, once again, gone out the window. Thanks so much for sticking with me thus far, I'll try to update as often as I can._


	4. Chapter 4

Kadira studied Kahlse from the corner of her eye, noting the way the young togruta shifted uncomfortably on the cot. It had been over an hour since the incident with the girl's rather explosive temper, and the two had sat in silence ever since.

"Have you ever handled a rifle before?" Kadira asked, not looking up as she inspected one of Iam's Verpine rifles that had been in the weapon's rack. Thankfully it hadn't sustained any damage, as it was one of Iam's favorites in a tight spot. He had at least one in each of his safe houses, sometimes two or three. But Verps weren't cheap, and they really didn't bounce well. Thank the stars this one had survived.

"No," Kahlse answered. "I've used a vibrosword though."

But Kadira was shaking her head. "Best stay away from those. Don't look at me like that, I'm serious. If someone sees a girl who is exceptionally skilled with a blaster, they just assume she's worked hard and maybe has some natural skill. And if she seems to have incredibly fast reflexes, then they just give her a wide birth. A prodigy with pistols and rifles draws some attention, but not too much. But add in a melee weapon, instead of a rifle? That's when people start thinking, and that's when it gets dangerous."

Kahlse frowned and Kadira braced herself for an argument. But the togruta simply nodded, seeming to accept the logic in Kadira's statement.

"Makes sense…"

Kadira glanced up, noticing the almost cheerful expression on Kahlse's face.

"What did I say?" Kadira asked wryly, lifting one eyebrow. "You look like I just told you there's free uj cake next door."

"It's just… If people tend to see a Jedi where there isn't one, then…"

"…Then?" Kadira prodded, sliding the Verp's magazine out and inspecting it for damage.

"Then that means people haven't forgotten them. True, right now they're turning them in for credits, but still… They remember. And if they remember, then maybe someday the Jedi can return."

Kadira sighed softly and returned the magazine to its place, proceeding to check another weapon. This one was a favorite of Laniff's, a WESTAR-M5 rifle that sported an under-barrel grenade launcher. It was a military weapon, used mostly by Special Forces in the Clone Wars, and was known for being a high powered and deadly piece of ordnance. Just Laniff's style, something that could cause a large amount of damage in a small amount of time.

"Not everyone sees the _jetii_ as the saviors of the galaxy, Kahlse," she said finally.

"That's because you're a Mandalorian. Your kind have never like the Jedi," Kahlse said sharply.

Kadira glanced up pointedly. "Temper, Kahls. Temper." She looked back down to the weapon as she detached the grenade launcher to give it a good cleaning. "I'm not saying the _jetii_ are or were evil. I'm not one of those who believes every word the Empire says. If I did, I wouldn't be smuggling you. Or anything, actually, since everything I do is technically illegal…" Kadira sighed and shook her head. "What I'm saying is that the _jetii_ didn't do everything right. If they ever do come back, which they very well might, then they're going to have to do a lot of things different to avoid falling into the same hole. I'm none too fond of the idea of the _jetii_ returning, but I'll admit it's a sight better than the Empire."

"…Do you think the Mandalorians and Jedi can ever get along?" Kahlse ventured finally.

Kadira laughed softly. "Even I'm not going to make a bet on either side of that one, thank you… The problem is both sides are too much alike. What we share, we share completely. What we don't, we're polar opposites in. We don't know how to set that aside, let alone thousands of years of bad blood between us. Mandos don't like to be herded, and the Jedi never liked to be shut out. Not to mention the fact that we tend to have very strong emotions, while the Jedi believe that such feelings and ties are to be avoided at all costs... Both sides have been wrong, Kahlse, but neither side was willing to admit it. That's where the real issue lies."

* * *

"_Kad'ika_?" Laniff spoke into his comm, scanning the skyline as he did so. "We're ready when you are."

_::Have you secured the channel?::_ Kadira's voice replied, sounding much calmer than it had only hours ago. It was amazing what having a few illegal weapons in-hand could do to a person's self-confidence.

"Secured, encrypted, and every other fancy word you can think of," Laniff assured her. "Ran has you coming up from the west, does that sound about right?"

_::I can work with that.::_

"I'll be guiding you street by street, so keep the channel open," Ran instructed. "If you feel you need to take a detour, do it. You're the only eyes on the ground there, you can see better than any of us. Trust your gut."

_::Copy that. Give me a few minutes, I want to scope this out before we venture out. Laniff, I'm linking my HUD view to yours so you can keep track of what's going on. Jett, you should be getting a readout too,::_ Kadira responded.

"And here I am, left out of the circle," Ran muttered.

_::Get yourself some real armor and we can talk about fixing that, cityboy,::_ Kadira retorted before Laniff could make his own sarcastic response. _::All my scans are showing up negative. Any advice on speed? I didn't pick anything up last time, so I'm only so willing to rely on my scans.::_

Laniff blew out a breath, considering, but it was Jett who answered. No hesitation, just a soldier doing what he knew best. What had kept him alive throughout the Clone Wars and parts of the Empire's many quiet wars.

"What's your first instinct?"

_::…Caution. By myself I'd run it, but with Kahlse I'm hesitant to. I'm tempted to stay here and lay low…::_

"Then move fast instead. Throw him off course. If it were me, I'd be expecting caution from you, not recklessness. He'll be banking on a smuggler's legendary ability to drop cargo and lie low until the heat dies down. I doubt he's counting on a Corellian Mandalorian who will run the gauntlet instead. Move and move fast."

"Jett's right, _Kad'ika_. Time to trust your target and make a run for it," Laniff affirmed. "It's a sound plan."

_::Laniff, only you would call running at top speed across the under levels of Coruscant a 'sound plan',:: _there was a moment of silence over the comm before Kadira sighed. _::Speed it is. Slow and careful almost got us killed before, so it's time to up the game. Everyone ready?::_

"Waiting on your mark," Laniff replied. "Stay safe and move fast. We'll be waiting for you."

* * *

"Kahlse, time to move," Kadira said, tossing the girl a rifle and smiling as she caught it. "If things get bad, just point and shoot. I'll handle any precision shots, you keep moving no matter what. Your comm is hooked up to the same channel as mine, so put it in your ear and keep it on. If we get separated, Ran will instruct you where to go. Isn't that right, Ran?"

_::Copy that,::_ Ran's voice came over the comm. _::Kahlse, do as I say but if you see something, trust your instincts first. Especially you. I can always redirect you to still get back to the _Vanguard_. There are two others on this line, Laniff and Jett. Boys, introduce yourselves so Kahlse can hear and recognize your voices.::_

_::This is Laniff, I'll be offering heavy ordnance cover as well as a personal escort once you're closer,::_ Laniff said, his deep voice slightly cheerful. Kadira had no doubt he was trying to help keep Kahlse calm, and he was the perfect one to do it. She even found herself relaxing slightly.

_::And this is Jett. I'm on a sniper position, so I'll be your eyes in the sky as soon as you get close,:: _Jett's accented voice was distinct as well, and Kadira had no doubt that Kahlse would be able to remember and place them easily. It was good that Iam wasn't on this mission, as his voice was very similar to Laniff's over comm.

"Unless your instincts scream at you otherwise, follow their instructions," Kadira said, placing her helmet over her head and listening to it seal. "I trust all three of these men with my life, so you can too. We'll be moving very fast, so we're going to have to rely on them to keep us safe."

"Why fast?" Kahlse asked, shifting her grip on the rifle she held. It was the Verpine, due to its ease of use. It was a gun that could do massive amounts of damage, even in the hands of an inexperienced marksman.

_::Our guess is that your hunter is going to be expecting Kadira to act like a smuggler and try to keep it safe and slow. So we're going to change it up a bit and go fast to try to throw him off your trail. Do you think you can handle it?::_

Kahlse nodded, then remembered the men couldn't see her.

"I think so. You'll tell me what to do and where to go?"

_::We'll be with you the whole time,:: _Laniff assured her_. ::And if things go wrong, get behind Kadira. Her armor's made to take massive amounts of damage, so trust her to keep you safe. _Kad'ika_, know your limits. Buildings are good shields, too.::_

"Copy, Laniff, quit worrying. You have enough to focus on with keeping a perimeter. We're about to move out," she glanced at Kahlse, tilting her helmeted head questioningly. "You ready?"

Kahlse nodded, biting her lip and holding tighter to the rifle.

"Just remember. Point and shoot."

* * *

_::Ten feet, take a left and then an immediate right,:: _Ran's voice instructed as Kadira and Kahlse hurried through the streets.

The streets were getting more and more crowded as dusk began to fall and the criminals of the underworld began to venture out. Stormtrooper patrols were nowhere to be seen, allowing Kadira and her charge to move slightly faster than they otherwise might have. Not for the first time, Kadira was grateful for the intimidating image her armor lent her, as nearly everyone moved out of the way without question. No one wanted to attract the attention of a Mandalorian, not down here where almost everyone had some sort of price on their heads. A few shouted insults could be heard, but Kahlse and Kadira were both in too much of a rush to pay them any mind.

"Ey! Watch where you're going, bucket-head!" a particularly annoyed and inebriated rodian shouted, snagging Kadira's gauntleted wrist and clinging tight.

Kadira simply slammed the butt of the WESTAR rifle into his chin and shoved him away without a word, never breaking stride. He crumpled, stunned but not seriously injured. Kahlse sidestepped the drunk hurriedly, taking Kadira's lead and not stopping. They had been moving for five minutes now, dodging drunks and gang members alike.

"Dead end, Ran," Kadira said as they took Ran's instructions and came to the end of an alleyway.

_::Use your jetpack, get over that wall. And hurry.::_

Kadira muttered something darkly and swung her rifle over her shoulder. Kahsle did the same and stepped forward, gripping Kadira tightly around the shoulders without having to be asked.

"Hold on," Kadira instructed before activating the jetpack. It sputtered once and then ignited, sending them up and over the obstacle. When they came down on the other side, Kadira let out a breath of relief. The _Vanguard_ was visible against the Coruscanti skyline, hidden in shadow but still recognizable to her eye.

"Come on, Kels. Almost there," Kadira said, clapping one hand on Kahlse's shoulder reassuringly. "Wait here for a second while I scout out ahead."

Kadira stepped out of the shadows of the surrounding buildings, sliding her rangefinder into place to better scan her surroundings.

"Nothing on my scans. Laniff?"

_::I'm not picking up anything either. Looks like you're clear.::_

Kadira signaled Kahlse forward and stepped out of the protection of the buildings, breathing another sigh of relief.

"Home free," Kahlse murmured and Kadira smiled, turning to face the girl as they walked.

Without warning, Kahlse shouted and slammed her weight to the side, shoving Kadira and knocking her to the ground with the force of the blow. Kadira heard the soft _whump_ of a silenced round even as she fell to the pavement, rolling to her feet in the same movement. Kahlse was on the ground, unmoving, the Verpine Kadira had given her lying a few feet away. Kadira raced forward, ignoring Laniff's shouts in her comm in her rush to reach Kahlse.

She heard Jett shout just as pain exploded in her upper back and her HUD began flashing multiple warnings that her suit's atmospheric seal had been lost. She stumbled forward, gasping and falling to her knees as she gripped her shoulder, noting the readout on her HUD that showed massive damage to her armor and flight suit. Her HUD's image flickered as she blinked rapidly, her vision swimming as she crawled the few remaining feet to Kahlse's prone form. She could feel the warm flow of blood down her back even as she heard shouting in her comm. From the corner of her eye she could see Jett and Laniff returning fire. Their presence was probably the only reason she was still alive, as they were drawing the sniper's attention away from her and onto themselves.

Kadira cursed as her good arm buckled for a moment, nearly sending her crashing visor-first into the pavement, but she managed to drag herself to her feet and grab Kahlse's limp form.

"Laniff! I need cover and I need it now!" she gasped into her comm, straining under the weight of the togruta coupled with the pain of her injury. Her left arm hung limply at her side, useless. "Come on, Kahlse, stay with me."

Kadira managed to drag them, stumbling, behind a pile of rubble for cover, gasping as Kahlse slid to the duracrete. She ignored her HUD's warnings, instead rolling Kahlse over to inspect the wound that had downed the young togruta. The girl's breath was a wheezing gasp, something Kadira knew was a bad sign.

Kahlse began coughing, blood sprinkling her lips as Kadira cursed.

"Kadira?"

"Hush, _ad'ika_," Kadira instructed, firmly but kindly. The damage was massive, well beyond anything Kadira knew how to treat.

"It's ok…" Kahlse muttered as Kadira turned her back over. The togruta's eyes were closed, but there was the hint of a smile on her face. "I…I found it."

"Don't. Don't go giving up on me, Kahlse. We got you this far, you hear me?" Kadira said, pressing one gloved hand to the togruta's injury in a vain attempt to stop the blood flow. "We're getting you off this planet and to safety, got that? We're going to find that peace you've been looking for and you're going to live a long, happy life, outside the Empire."

"I found it," Kahlse murmured again, opening her eyes. "I found the peace… It's right here…"

The girl trailed off with a sigh. Her chest stilled, no longer rising and falling with breath. Kadira stared a moment, as if somehow expecting for the girl to start breathing again, to start arguing about the Jedi or some other subject. But she remained still, her eyes staring lifelessly up at the Coruscanti sky.

Kadira could feel herself shaking as she reached forward and gently closed the girl's eyelids.

::_Kadira_!:: Jett's sharp voice grabbed Kadira's attention and held it, reminding her that she'd been ignoring her comm.

"She's gone," Kadira managed, dragging herself back to her feet and leaning against the wall of a nearby building as her head swam. She was dangerously close to passing out, her HUD's systems informing her that her vital signs were dangerously erratic. At the moment, she felt no pain, something she knew would last only a short period. She was going to have to move quickly before that numbness wore off and full shock set in.

_::Get back here, now,::_ Jett instructed. _::There's nothing you can do for her. Just get on board the _Vanguard_.::_

Kadira glanced at Kahlse's body and swallowed hard, nodding. Mandalorians didn't have burial ceremonies. It was a fact of life in a warrior culture, there was rarely time to haul a body and give them a proper burial.

"I'm coming,_ vod. _Cover me."

* * *

Laniff provided a continuous round of cover fire along with Jett as Kadira sprinted for the ship. He kept an eye on her using his HUD, noting the way she lurched forward. She was definitely injured, then. As she came closer, his HUD systems linked up fully to hers and he muttered a curse, noting the vital signs her systems uploaded to him. She was in bad shape, but miraculously was still moving.

Kadira had reached the ramp of the _Vanguard_ just as return fire ceased entirely. Laniff signaled Jett, who slid off the hull of the _Vanguard_ on the other side, using the ship as cover as they took advantage of the no doubt momentary cease-fire.

"He probably has a ship standing by!" Jett shouted as he followed Laniff up the ramp at a run. The two nearly stumbled over Kadira, who had made it just inside the doors before collapsing. She had one shoulder propped against the wall to hold her up. Blood was spattered across the backplate of her armor, the metal shredded by the shot that had driven her to the ground only minutes before.

Laniff cursed even as Jett dropped to his knees next to Kadira, removing her helmet gingerly.

"Get to the cockpit," Jett snapped, waving Laniff away impatiently. "I'll get her to the med-bay. Go! We need to get out of here before the other guy gets a chance to get ahead of us."

"Laniff," Kadira murmured, just managing to turn her head to look at him. "If you hurt my ship-"

"I know, you'll shove me out the airlock," Laniff replied impatiently, slamming his hand into the ramp controls and sealing the ship.

Kadira nodded weakly, "Just so we're clear."

"Get her to the medbay, now," Laniff instructed Jett sharply, before rushing to the cockpit. He could only hope he knew the ship well enough to get them out of this mess before even more things went wrong.

* * *

Jett felt the _Vanguard_ begin to lift as Laniff took off, skipping the pre-flight check. Kadira was slumped against Jett's shoulder as he practically dragged her down the small flight of stairs into the medbay. She was no longer speaking, just nodding or shaking her head to Jett's questions. Whatever adrenaline had allowed her to try to drag Kahlse to safety and then reach the ship on her own was gone, leaving shock and pain to set in.

"Kadira, I need you to stay with me. You're losing a lot of blood. Focus on me and what I'm saying, alright?"

A nod. Jett picked her up in order to place her on the room's table, flinching as she arched her back, letting out a strangled gasp as the movement stretched her wound.

"I know, _cyar'ika_, I know, I'm sorry," he murmured, removing her jetpack and the shredded backplate of her armor, grateful that the shot had missed the fuel cells of the pack. If that had been that case, the jetpack would have ignited and there would have been nothing they could have done to save her. As it was, the wound was a nasty one. The round had impacted the rear of her left shoulder at an angle and exited just below the front of her right collar bone, indicating that it had been a projectile weapon, one with enough force to punch through _beskar'gam_. That in itself spoke of very high powered ordnance, something that wasn't easy to acquire.

"Laniff, get us out of here!" he yelled as the ship bucked, sending Jett stumbling a few steps to regain his balance.

There was no response from the cockpit and Jett muttered darkly, making his way back to Kadira with a pressure bandage and a tube of bacta.

"We'll get you in the bacta tank as soon as we've made the jump to hyperspace," Jett informed Kadira, grateful for even the small nod she managed. Her face was drained of blood and drawn with pain, but she was completely silent. Only when he squirted the bacta onto the wound and pressed the bandage into place did she let out a strangled cry.

Jett grabbed her hand and let her squeeze his, noticing the tears in her eyes but choosing not to comment on them. Whether they were for her own pain or for the young togruta lying dead on the streets of Coruscant, he didn't know. But if he'd had to make a bet, he would say it was both.

"Come on, Laniff," he muttered as Kadira slipped into unconsciousness, her grip on his hand relaxing. She slumped forward and he held her gently, not willing to risk her being jostled by the movements of the ship. Her head rested against his shoulder as he glanced back at the door, waiting to feel the _Vanguard_ make its jump to hyperspace. "Get us out of here."

The ship lurched once more and Jett heard the hyperdrive engage. He let out an explosive breath of relief. There was no way their pursuer could follow them into hyperspace.

* * *

Shaen cursed and slammed his hand into the control panel of his own ship. So close… If the girl hadn't shoved Kadira out of the way, if Sal's ship had been just a little bit slower in the jump to Hyperspace… Shaen cursed again. He had only needed one more shot, one more chance and then everything would have worked out perfectly.

She had acted unexpectedly again. He had expected her to play it safe, use the maze and bustle of Coruscant to her advantage. Instead, she had made a dash for it. If his contacts hadn't informed him of her movements, he would have missed her entirely. She was good, that much was obvious now. She had anticipated his expectations and done the exact opposite of that. Once again, he had underestimated her and it had cost him. The dead togruta was just collateral damage, she had been in the way and had gotten killed for it, but he would have to stay away from Coruscant for a time. The last thing he needed was to be arrested now when he was so close.

Shaen growled and shoved himself away from his ship's control panel, making his way to the navicomputer. He would have to make a new plan now. He'd lie low and wait for Kadira to venture out again. She was pretty badly injured, so it would give him some time…

He hesitated, then punched in a set of coordinates into the navicomputer, smiling as a new plan began to form. It was time to get in touch with some contacts, Spike included. This time he would be ready for Kadira. He'd set a trap she wouldn't be able to resist walking into. And maybe, just maybe, this time Iam would be with her.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter ended up coming together a lot faster than I had anticipated, hence the early posting…. Thoughts/reviews are, as always, coveted and appreciated greatly!_


	5. Chapter 5

Kadira took a slow breath, tasting the cool, stale taste of the air through the mask strapped over her mouth and nose. She kept her eyes closed, not willing to face the world just yet... She had never liked the feeling of being inside a bacta tank. She always felt trapped and helpless, what with the muffled beeping of equipment and the feel of the cool glass against her fingertips if she tried to reach out, the walls of the tank trapping her and separating her from the outside world. She hated being cut off from her surroundings but for the comm system hooked up to the side of the tank. Not to mention the memories it brought flooding back to mind, both of her time in the Corellian Military and her years spent with the Empire. She'd had plenty of accidents back in those days, some more serious than others...

But even in her half aware state, she could tell she was on board the _Vanguard_. She could feel the familiar hum of the engines through the bacta surrounding her. The sound was the one thing that was keeping her from pounding on the glass and demanding to be let out.

"_Kad'ika_?" Jett's accented voice came through the comm, causing Kadira to open her eyes. "Your readings say you're conscious. Can you hear me?"

Kadira nodded, knowing he would be able to see the motion.

"It's good to see you lucid," Jett said, sounding relieved. Kadira could only wonder how long she'd been unconscious if he sounded so concerned. "Laniff got us off of Coruscant in one piece. We'll be landing in Keldabe by …"

Jett's voice seemed to fade and blackness overtook her vision as she faded from consciousness once more.

The next time she came to she figured she must be alone. She couldn't see much outside the walls of the tank, but she couldn't see any movement. Jett had no doubt stepped out or gone to get some sleep. Kadira let out a slow breath and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the side of the bacta tank, doing her best to ignore to ignore the taste of the pressurized air from the breath mask.

She felt like her world had come crashing down around her again. They had been so close to the _Vanguard_, so close to getting Kahlse off planet and to safety. Just a few more meters and the girl would have been on her way to a new life, free of the Empire and the constant threat of being found and turned in. But instead she died to keep Kadira alive. She had been gunned down because she had been in the way, and that was something that made Kadira's anger flare. She had been the target, not Kahlse. At least she had weapons, training, everything Kahlse didn't. It would have at least been an honorable fight if the hunter had come after her. It was dishonorable to gun down a civilian, especially one who was not a threat. Kahlse should have been spared. But instead, the hunter had shot her down.

Kadira took a slow breath of filtered air and pressed one hand against the glass, fighting back the choking rage that threatened to take hold. It was almost a relief when she sank back into unconsciousness, the rage fading as pain took its place and blackness closed in on her once more.

* * *

"She's alive, _buir_, but she's in bad shape," Laniff informed the holoimage of Iam Sal, Kadira's adoptive father. "I'm bringing her to you. I don't want to risk landing in Keldabe and being tracked down, not with the shape she's in. Can you have something set up? She's going to need more than just a bacta tank. That shot did some pretty serious damage."

_::I'll have everything ready for her__,::_ Iam responded.

Laniff nodded, hearing the undertone of worry in Iam's voice, something Laniff wished he could have spared the man. This whole mission had gone horribly wrong, from Kahlse's death to Kadira's injury.

"I'll let you know if anything changes," Laniff said, running one hand through his hair.

_::I'll get in touch with Mij Gilamar. If anyone can help Kad'ika, it'll be him… Keep an eye on her, Lan'ika. She'll be a mess more than physically after this.::_

Laniff nodded, knowing what the man meant. Kadira was as bad as any Mando when it came to loss and failure.

"Jett's with her. I've been trying to convince him to take off and rest, but he won't hear of it. Maybe it's good... I have a feeling Jett will understand, at least in part, how she's feeling right now."

Iam nodded. _::Good thinking, son... Just get her here safely. We'll handle the rest as it comes.::_

* * *

"How's she doing?" Ran asked from the doorway of the medbay, looking at Kadira suspended in the bacta tank.

She was dressed in the white gown used on submerged patients, a sight that struck him as both strange and wrong. He was used to seeing her dressed in full _beskar_ armor, looking strong and invincible. But the gown made her seem even frailer than she might otherwise have appeared. On top of that, it was disconcerting to see Kadira with absolutely no control. He had no doubt that she must hate it.

"She was awake a little while ago," Jett answered quietly. "…I didn't let her know I was here. I wanted to see what she would do."

"What happened?" Ran asked, crossing the room to sit down. All animosity between the two seemed to have been set aside for the moment. There was still tension, but both men were ignoring it.

Jett shrugged. "Not much… But I don't think she's going to be in very good shape, mentally, when she comes out of this."

Ran sighed and ran one hand through his dark hair.

"Of course she's not," he growled. "She takes these things personally, sees these refugees as her responsibility…"

"That's what makes her so good," Jett pointed out, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "She cares about them, about their stories and the future she's leading them towards."

"It's going to get her killed one day," Ran snapped sharply, standing up to pace.

Jett merely followed Ran with his eyes, one dark brow lifted. Ran was beginning to wonder why Kadira hadn't punched him ages ago for that expression. It was infuriating, to say the least.

"How did she even get bacta, let alone a whole bacta tank? The Empire's made it practically impossible to get either one," Ran said, frowning at Kadira's unconscious form. Part of him was angry at her. Angry that she had gone back for Kahlse, had placed herself back in the line of fire. If she hadn't then maybe she wouldn't have gotten hurt…

"She's a smuggler, how do you think?" Jett responded dryly. "I don't think she much cares if the Empire is restricting bacta tanks. Or how much it costs to have one, for that matter. Have you seen the _Vanguard_, _vod_? It doesn't exactly scream that she's been tight-fisted with credits, does it?"

A beeping from one of the sensors stalled any continuation of the conversation as Jett rose and walked to stand in front of the tank. Kadira was awake finally, if the sensors hooked up to the tank were anything to go by. Ran let out a breath of relief, glad for that at least. It felt wrong to see her just floating there, hooked up to an oxygen mask and all sorts of machinery. He'd rather see her awake, even if it might mean she was yelling at them. Though the last thing he wanted was a repeat of what had happened the last time, before Laniff and Jett had sedated her. She hadn't seemed to be lucid then, just fighting all of them and screaming from the pain it had caused her. It was something Ran never wanted to witness again, that much pain and fear from someone who had always been so in control of herself. It was terrifying.

"Kadira? Can you hear me?" Jett asked, cutting short Ran's train of thought.

Kadira slapped one hand against the side of the tank in response. When Jett turned to check the tank's settings, Kadira struggled to the surface of the bacta tank, stripping the mask off her face with some difficulty. The tank's lid kept her from exiting the bacta solution on her own, if she was even strong enough to be able to do it anyway. Ran frowned and took a concerned step forward as she leaned one hand against the glass to hold herself above the bacta solution, her face tired and pained.

"Let me out, Jett," her ruined voice could barely be heard above the low hum of the tank, but her intent was made clear when she tapped one knuckle against the top of the tank.

But Jett crossed his arms and shook his head firmly. "No. You need to heal as much as you can."

"Jett, you _shabuir_, let me out," Kadira's voice was angry, but she blew out a breath and leaned her forehead against the glass, obviously too exhausted to stay upright or continue the argument. Her breath was coming in pained gulps, more and more so as she struggled to hold herself up above the liquid.

"Let her out, Jett," Laniff's voice came from the doorway, sounding pained. Ran jumped, belatedly wondering how a man in full armor could move so quietly. It was unnerving. "She's going to need a break between treatments anyway. And we need to take a look at that wound, see how bad it really is."

Jett hesitated a moment before sighing and giving in.

"But you're resting, _Kad'ika_," he said firmly. "That wound is bad."

Kadira simply nodded. Ran glanced at Laniff, worried about the lack of comeback. The Mandalorian didn't look at him, but his expression made Ran frown as his concern grew.

* * *

"You should have told us you were getting claustrophobic," Laniff admonished, looking at Kadira with one eyebrow raised pointedly. She was sitting up against the med-bay wall, her wet hair pulled back away from her pale face. She was being especially careful not to move her upper body, as she'd already learned the hard way how much pain that caused.

"Next time I'll bring a pen and write it on the inside or something," she grumbled in response, glaring at the small med-droid coming towards her. "Did you have to bring the droid?"

"Lucky I did," Laniff replied. "It'll do a better job of examining you without me having to poke and prod your wound, grouch."

"Of course I'm a grouch, I just got _shot_ for star's sake, _di'kut_," Kadira snapped, then blew out a breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

Laniff kept silent, watching her face closely as the droid did its work and noting the way her mouth tightened and her jaw clenched. The painkillers weren't doing much, then.

"How're you holding up, _ner vod_?" Laniff asked finally, his voice serious.

Kadira was silent, and for a minute Laniff wondered if she had even heard him. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling blankly for a moment before answering.

"I'm angry," she admitted. "…Actually, I think 'furious' is the better word… He shouldn't have gone after Kahlse. Not when I was the target. There's no honor in that..."

"You think he was after you?" Laniff asked, frowning.

"If he wasn't, he would have left after killing Kahlse. And he wouldn't have aimed at me first… Not to mention that round pierced _beskar'gam_. That's not the kind of weapon you carry around if you're just hunting a teenaged refugee," she explained, glancing at the ruined backplate leaning up against the wall. She shivered and looked away, her gaze meeting Laniff's for a split second. In her expression, he saw her acknowledgement of just how lucky she had been. Even a wound as bad as the one she was dealing with now was preferable to the alternative.

"I'm never wearing a jetpack again, _vod_," Kadira murmured. "A few centimeters to the side and…" she trailed off and sighed, shaking her head.

Laniff let out a breath and leaned his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face with one hand.

"But I'm definitely angry," Kadira spoke again, closing her eyes. "And I'm going to find that _chakaar_ and make him tell me why he's hunting me and why he shot down a civilian to do it."

"Something tells me Iam and I will join you on that hunt, _vod'ika_," Laniff agreed, glancing back at the ruined armor plate.

"How's _buir_ handling all this?" Kadira asked, before gasping suddenly. Laniff was halfway out of his chair by the time she was able to wave him off, her face twisted into a grimace.

"What did you do?" Laniff asked, sitting back down slowly.

"…Tried to smack the droid," Kadira admitted, sounding almost sheepish. "Don't give me that look, it poked me and it hurt. So I swatted it."

"And how did that end up?" Laniff drawled, crossing his arms and lifting one eyebrow. He smiled slightly when she glared at him. "Iam's getting a med facility set up for you. He said he's going to get Gilamar to look at that wound since the bacta doesn't seem to be doing everything."

Kadira nodded in response, not bothering to argue. Laniff could tell that even this short conversation had drained her strength considerably.

"I'll see if I can find Jett to give you some sedatives, help you sleep," he said finally, the concern leaking back into his voice. "We'll be landing on Mandalore in an hour or so."

"That's not funny, Laniff," Kadira muttered. "Do you know how many times he drugged me before?"

"You're the one who let him on the ship, _Kad'ika_," Laniff replied dryly. "It's that or let him fly the _Vanguard_."

Kadira groaned. "Fine. I'll take the blasted sedatives."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate the vote of confidence," Laniff responded wryly, rising to his feet. His gaze landed on the shredded armor plate once more and he sighed, turning away.

Iam was definitely going to want to hunt down the _chakaar_ who had hurt his daughter, and Laniff was going to make sure he was there as well. It was personal now, for all of them.

* * *

_A/N: Again, thank you all for waiting for updates! I really appreciate your patience with me, and as always I love to hear from readers. It really does make my day, I swear :)_


	6. Chapter 6

"Laniff!" Jett's voice held enough panic to bring Laniff running from the cockpit to see what had the clone shouting for help.

When he entered the medbay he found Jett hurriedly cutting a sheet of plastic, his movements surprisingly controlled for the amount of emotion evident in his voice. Something had obviously gone very wrong judging from the grim expression on the clone's face.

Laniff didn't need to ask what had caused Jett's shout as he looked down at Kadira. Each time she exhaled he heard a sucking noise from her chest and her breathing was difficult, far more so than when she had been struggling to exit the bacta tank. She was still unconscious, but blood was speckled on her lips, indicating she had been coughing up the liquid.

Laniff cursed and crossed the room hurriedly to help Jett, realizing now he should have known something more was wrong than Kadira simply being out of breath. He knew the signs well enough now that he was seeing them all together. Everything pointed to a punctured lung that had just collapsed due to air rushing into her chest cavity. The bacta treatment had no doubt kept her lung from collapsing for this long, but there was only so much bacta could do before it became a hindrance instead of a help.

"Jett, what do we do here?" Laniff asked tersely, knowing Jett had far more advanced medical training than he did.

"We can only patch her up," Jett answered shortly. He was already placing the plastic over the exit wound just below Kadira's collarbone, wincing as she began coughing again, fresh blood speckling her lips. "_Shab_!"

Laniff moved to help as Jett began taping down the sides of the plastic, leaving one side free to allow the air trapped in her chest cavity to escape. The plastic would keep any air from being able to enter the wound and cause further damage to her already collapsed lung. The clone worked frantically, but it was obvious he knew what he was doing as well. Kadira continued coughing off and on, more blood flaking onto her lips with each one.

Jett finished taping the plastic and stepped back, snagging the second piece he had cut and motioning for Laniff to turn Kadira on her side.

"We'll have to do the other side as well," Jett instructed, glancing up only briefly as Ran rushed into the room. The man didn't question, simply moved to help where he could, taking Jett's instructions as if there had never been any tension between the two of them.

Laniff nodded and rolled Kadira over as gently as he could, wincing as she continued coughing. Ran moved to her other side, holding her to be sure she didn't rest on the wound below her collarbone.

"We need to get to Mandalore, Laniff," Jett said grimly, dressing this wound the same way he had the other. "She needs more help than we can give her here."

"I'll comm Iam and let him know things have gotten worse," Ran volunteered. "He'll need warning if he and Gilamar are going to have everything ready."

Jett nodded as Ran ducked out of the room, glancing back at Kadira briefly.

"That filthy _chakaar_ is going to pay for this," Laniff growled, his gaze meeting Jett's as the two rolled Kadira onto her back once more. He could see the same sentiment reflected in the clone's dark eyes before the man went back to tending Kadira.

* * *

Laniff brought the _Vanguard_ to a rushed landing close to Iam's dwelling. They had made it here in record time, thanks to the _Vanguard's_ speed and superior design. Laniff looked out the cockpit window briefly, his jaw tense with worry. Iam's home was barely visible through the heavy fog, but it there was a square of light that indicated the door was open and Iam wasn't bothering to close it. The building was low to the ground and could easily be described as a bunker. It had been built to be entirely defensible if it ever came under attack, as it had at a few points in the past. Right now all Laniff cared about was that it had a med bay filled with advanced equipment, and that Mij Gilamar was there and waiting to help Kadira.

Two men were silhouetted against the lights outside the dwelling, waiting for the _Vanguard_ to land before rushing to the ship's ramp. Laniff palmed open the ramp before rushing out of the cockpit to make his way to the med bay to help Jett with Kadira. Her condition had only worsened since Jett's frantic call for Laniff's help, leaving the two men racing to reach the planet in time.

Laniff had been forced to leave Jett to his own devices when it came time to land on Mandalore, as he had to be in the cockpit in case the Imperials decided to make trouble. Thankfully luck had worked in their favor for once and the _Vanguard_ had not been stopped on its descent to the planet below. If it had, Laniff had no doubt he would have ignored Imperial summons and dealt with the consequences later. Kadira was obviously in more trouble than the group had originally thought, and he wasn't willing to let her die because some Imperial had a power complex.

Laniff rushed past both Iam and Gilamar as the two hurried up the ramp. They followed Laniff in his dash to the medbay, with Gilamar pushing past the group to Kadira's side. He checked the plastic sheet taped over Kadira's wound, nodding approvingly when he saw Jett's handiwork.

"Alright son, let's get her strapped to the backboard. Last thing we want to do is shove any remaining shrapnel into her spine," he instructed, the two men working together effortlessly to transfer Kadira to the board and strap her in firmly to keep her from being able to move. "Iam, grab a side and let's get her into the bastion. I want to look at this wound as fast as I can. Laniff, grab that armor plate, I want to examine it as soon as we get Kad'ika stabilized, see what sort of weapon this _shabuir_ used."

Laniff didn't hesitate, simply nodding and moving to pick up the ruined backplate. He followed the group out the door, keeping an eye on the men to be sure they didn't lose their grip on the backboard and risk dropping Kadira. The last thing they needed was to give her a concussion on top of all of this.

Ran appeared just outside the _Vanguard_, moving ahead of them to be certain all obstacles were cleared out of the way. Laniff caught a glimpse of the man's face, noticing the pinched look and the fury raging in his dark eyes as he took in Kadira's condition. Laniff had no doubt that Ran was already figuring out a way to track Kadira's hunter down. Not for the first time, he found himself grateful that Ran was on their side in all this. He had a strong feeling the man would make a terrible enemy.

* * *

"_Bard'ika_, thanks for making your way here," Iam's voice came from the entrance and Jett turned to see one of Skirata's adopted sons duck inside the bastion.

"It's Gotab now, old friend," the man responded, removing his helmet to reveal blond hair and tired eyes. "How's she doing?"

"Not well," Iam replied, guiding the younger man inside. Gotab nodded at both Laniff and Jett, his gaze lingering on Jett for a moment longer, a frown flickering briefly across the man's face before he turned back to Iam. "She has a punctured lung that's now collapsed, and she's coughing up blood."

Gotab nodded grimly. "I'll see what I can do. The whole clan is worried about her, _Kal'buir_ included. She's made quite an impression on the lot of them."

"She smuggled them out of enough situations, I would hope so," Laniff said, offering a strained smile. Even his legendary light heartedness was failing to lighten the situation, but Gotab offered a grim smile in response.

"Show me where to go, Iam," Gotab said, nodding to Laniff and glancing back at Jett once more before following Iam into the med bay.

Laniff and Jett fell back into silence, neither sure what to say. Gilamar had instructed them to get some rest, but neither man had been able to do so.

"Where's Ran?" Laniff asked suddenly, sitting up straight and frowning.

"Trying to track down the gutless _shabuir_ who did this," Jett answered, running one hand through his hair.

Both men looked up as Iam returned to the room, followed closely by Ran.

"Who was that?" Jett asked, nodding to the now empty doorway.

"One of Skirata's boys, Gotab," Iam answered simply. "He knows how to do some healing."

Jett frowned, noting the dodgy answer, but decided it was best not to ask. Not now, when there was so much else going on.

"I found something," Ran spoke up, leaning his shoulder against the wall. He waved off Laniff's offer of a chair, apparently preferring to stand. "I've been doing some digging, called in your friend Jonika," he explained, nodding to Iam. Iam nodded, not looking at Jett. "She's been helping me out, and we found a connection. Not the whole story, mind you, but still a lead. Seems our hunter goes by the name of Shaen Mog. He doesn't seem to have any ties to Mandalore that we can find. In fact we're thinking his name is an alias. He appeared out of nowhere about ten years ago, no trace of him before that."

"What's his connection to Kadira?" Iam asked, frowning.

"There are two, actually. One is Alaida Dain. Apparently this man was hired by her for a time. What for, we can't tell, but apparently he's no longer on her payroll. Records show his contract was cancelled and there's a warning in the system to avoid using him as a hunter."

Jett nodded slowly, taking in the information while Laniff and Iam asked the questions.

"What's the second connection?" Laniff asked, getting up and pacing.

"…Coorta Mashiri," Ran said finally. "Apparently the two were long-time partners."

"_Shab_," Laniff muttered, making the connection only a split second after Jett. "So this is Death Watch and a revenge match… does he know Spike's the one who shot Coorta?"

"Would it matter?" Jett spoke up. "My guess is he'd probably still see it as Kadira's fault. Coorta was after her when she was killed, and the two of them had a pretty impressive grudge match of their own. With Spike disappearing with no trace, it's my guess he's decided Kadira is the one to blame for everything."

"She talked Jett down from shooting Coorta," Laniff protested, but even he didn't sound convinced of the strength of that argument.

"And so Coorta had no helmet and no weapon when Spike shot her," Jett pointed out.

Laniff considered a moment before sighing and nodding.

"… If you're right, then he's going to come after Kadira again. And the next time he's not going to miss."

"Neither am I," Iam replied grimly.

Jett glanced between the two men, noting their expressions. No matter what the outside world believed, Mandalorians did have a code when it came to war. And when someone dragged a civilian into a fight, it meant that all the bets were off. That person had become the worst _hut'tuun_, a coward. Such an enemy deserved no quarter, and was given none. To have an injured _vod_ on top of all that just meant that the Mandos involved would hit even harder and faster than before. It was only a matter of time, and Shaen would soon find that there was nowhere in the galaxy that he would be safe.

* * *

Shaen leaned back in the pilot's chair of his ship, scowling at the holoimage of his contact.

"How do you know they've found the trail?" he asked, knowing the man couldn't see his expression through his helmet's faceplate. "You said it was subtle."

_::I did. But Scorlo is talented, he'll find the trail and he'll follow it. If I made it too obvious he'd become suspicious and then everything would be ruined,:: _his contact replied with a shrug. _::He needs to feel challenged or else it won't work.::_

"Spike, if you're wrong about this…"

_::You'll come disconnect my head from my body personally,::_ Spike provided, smiling slightly. _::I'm forewarned. It'll work. They'll be bound and determined to drag you down after Kadira's injury. Add to that your next target and you can be certain they'll come after you.::_

"You already gave me false information once. Sal didn't react the way you said she would, and now we have to scramble to change the plan."

_::You're the one who wanted to turn this into a double plan,::_ Spike replied with a raised brow. _::You're also the one who missed. If you had killed Kadira like the plan dictated, then you could have gone after Laniff and the others. Iam would have assumed all this was tied only to Coorta until it was too late. Your partner would have been avenged and you would have been able to take out Iam's support at the same time. Now we have to make sure to keep the attention on your partner's death rather than your past. If they dig that up, it's all over. But none of that would be true if you could actually shoot straight.::_

"I didn't know her target was going to jump in front of her like a _shabla di'kut_," Shaen growled in response. "And then Dreysel and crew reacted and I had to focus on them or risk getting my head blown off. My point is, Spike, that this better not happen again. The plan better work this time, or I will set Kadira's crew on your trail and watch them hunt you down before I take them out myself. Is that clear?"

Spike hesitated a moment, his expression closed. Shaen waited, knowing the man was dangerous, but also knowing that Spike had nothing on him. Shaen had disappeared in the past, and could do so again just as easily if he needed to. Death Watch was incredibly skilled at _ba'slan shev'la _– disappearing only to regroup stronger. Spike might believe that he was in control here, but he was only the tool in a plan that had been brewing for far longer than the man knew.

_::I understand,:: _Spike said finally, offering that smile that made Shaen want to shoot the man himself. _::The plan will work. I know how Ran's mind works. He won't be able to pass this up, not now. Not after seeing Kadira hurt. He'll come, and both Iam Sal and Laniff will be with him.::_

* * *

Ran leaned over the datapad he held in one hand, typing quickly while he listened to Laniff and Iam's murmured conversation. The two were discussing plans of attack for taking out Shaen, provided that Ran could track down the man with enough accuracy to allow them to do so. Half his mind was on the task at hand, while the other half was on one of Laniff's comments, turning it over in his mind even as he continued coordinating his search with Jonika.

"I don't want this to be like my _buir_, Iam," Laniff had said softly. "I can't keep chasing ghosts."

The conversation had changed before Ran had the chance to inquire further, but he knew Laniff's father was dead, had been for years as far as Ran could tell. What he didn't know was how the man had died. From that comment, he was guessing it hadn't been from natural causes…

_::Cityboy, I found something for you,::_ Jonika's voice came over his comm, startling him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ran asked tersely. "And don't call me that."

_::Picked it up from your Mando buddies. And I'm doing this for free, so I'll call you whatever the fierfek I want.::_

"What do you have, Jonika?" Ran asked, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold back his impatience. He didn't have time for the slicer's games.

_::An interesting piece of intel. Apparently your friend Alaida Dain hired Shaen to track down a bounty about a year and a half ago-::_

"We already knew that."

_::Which is why you shouldn't interrupt,::_ Jonika snapped back. _::Interesting bit is she's apparently been in contact with him more recently. Nothing official, mind you, but there's a trail.::_

"Starting when?" Ran asked, his head snapping up, datapad all but forgotten. Both Iam and Laniff fell silent, seeming to realize something was happening. Even Jett sat up straighter, turning his attention to Ran completely.

_::Let's see… About the same time your friend Kadira was kidnapped by the clone. Messages ceased about a month ago, no contact since. I'm working on tracking down any actual recordings, seems like the kind of thing Dain would keep,:: Jonika_ supplied, sounding smug.

"Send me the intel you have," Ran instructed. "Thanks for the find, let me know if anything else comes up… And don't tell me how you got all this," he added with a sigh.

Jonika laughed, something that Ran failed to find reassuring. _::If you used only legally obtained intel, Cityboy, you'd never get anywhere in life.::_

Ran winced, disconnecting before he started an argument with the slicer. It wasn't worth it at the moment.

"Jonika found a lead," he informed the others, noting their questioning faces. "It seems Alaida has been in contact with Shaen since she hired and then fired him for the Empire. It happened about the same time Coorta was killed, and ceased again about a month ago."

"So Alaida Dain is our most recent source," Laniff sighed. "Fantastic."

Ran nodded, turning as Gilamar entered the room, looking tired.

"She's stabilized," the older man said in answer to the question on all the faces in the room. "She's lucky you lot were there to get her out. The projectile punctured one of her lungs which then collapsed. She also has a ruptured disk in her spine, my guess is that the bullet struck that as well but there's nothing that can be done there. She'll have to live with that one."

"How serious will it end up being?" Ran asked, frowning. The others seemed to just be nodding, apparently understanding every word the man was saying.

"It'll be painful at times, but not debilitating," Gilamar answered. "She's currently experiencing spinal shock as well, as the nerves in her spine were bruised by the damage. In short, she won't be able to move anything below the injury point for at least a week before those nerves begin healing.

"She was moving fine when we brought her out of the bacta," Ran said, again seeming to be the only one not fully comprehending Gilamar's words.

"The bacta helped delay the symptoms for a while, but there's only so much even it can do," Gilamar explained. "She'll recover, but it will all take time."

"How much time?" Iam asked, running one hand through his hair.

Gilamar spread his hands with a shrug, but his eyes were gentle. "My guess is she won't want to even move her shoulder for at least three weeks. Though with Gotab helping the healing process along it could end up being shorter. It's just going to depend on her ad how willing she is to sit still and heal," he smiled at Laniff's snort, but didn't comment.

"What about the coughing up blood?" Jett asked.

"That was due to her lung collapsing. She's stopped now, and we have a pump running that is taking the air and blood out of her chest cavity. Again, she'll recover from that with some time."

Iam nodded. "Thank you, old friend."

Gilamar nodded, clasping Iam's hand in the traditional Mandalorian hand-to-elbow grip.

"We _Cuy'val Dar _need to stick together," he replied simply. "Besides, Kadira's helped me steal some top-notch medical equipment right from under the Empire's nose. The least I owe her is the use of it."

The man glanced at Jett and offered a smile and a nod, which Jett returned.

"Good to see you again, Jett," Gilamar said. "We thought you'd been lost a long time ago."

"Not quite, Sarge," Jett replied with a half-smile. "Just sleeping for a while."

"You two know each other?" Ran asked, eyebrows raised.

"Gilamar was my Sergeant in the Clone Wars," Jett provided. "I had no idea he was back on Mandalore."

Gilamar shrugged, smiling. "I had to have somewhere to store all the stolen supplies," he said lightly.

"More like an entire stolen hospital," Iam put in dryly, looking much more relaxed than he had before hearing Kadira's condition.

Gilamar simply shrugged again in response, seeming to accept the description.

"Get some rest before you go after the _shabuir_ who did this," Gilamar instructed. "I'd rather none of you tested out if you're as lucky as Kadira. You may not be."

Iam nodded in reply. "We'll be careful, but we'll track him down Mij'ika. I don't want this happening ever again."

Gilamar smiled grimly. "_Oya, Iam'ika_. And let me know if I can do anything to help bring that _chakaar_ down."

* * *

_A/N: First and foremost I need to give a shout-out thank you to my brother-in-law for his help and input on the medical condition, treatment, symptoms, and advice for Kadira's injuries in this chapter. Everything you read here was thanks to his medical knowledge and experience – I owe you majorly, _ner vod_! Any mistakes belong to me alone, as I am far from a medical expert._

_As always, I would love to see reviews from my readers and hear what you thought of the chapter! Thanks again for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

Shaen leaned one armored shoulder against the hull of his ship, ignoring those who skittered past him with a nervous glance. It was the same here on Corellia as it was on any other planet. Mandalorian armor made people nervous. Some because they had a price on their heads, and some because they believed the outlandish stories some people told in cantinas about the barbaric warriors who fought for glory and honor, killing anyone who stood in their way. Shaen snorted softly at the thought. People were stuck in the past. The Mandalorians had become too peaceful, too soft. That was why Death Watch existed, and that was why Death Watch would persevere and bring Mandalore back to its former glory.

He turned away from the spaceport crowd to look towards the ships that came and went. Some were the usual clunkers, pieces of junk that didn't look like they'd survive another hyperspace jump, but others were classic Corellian examples of the planet's skill in making ships. He didn't much care for ships in general, they were simply a means to an end, but even he knew good engineering when he saw it, and Corellians were the best. His eyes ran over a particularly nice Corellian Corvette that was coming in for a landing, but he turned away when his contact finished speaking.

"You said 'foolproof' the last time, Spike," he reminded the man quietly.

_::No, I said only an idiot could screw it up_,:: Spike responded shortly. _::And look what happened. Look. Right now, we need to draw Iam off your trail. If he starts digging-::_

"He won't find anything," Shaen cut in.

_::Famous last words when Kadira's team is involved,:: _Spike retorted. _::The point is, we need a red herring. Something to tie you solely to Kadira and not to him. Once we have that in place, we can move more freely while they chase down their other contacts and get them to safety. It'll buy you time, and time is something we sorely need right now.::_

"Kadira is injured," Shaen pointed out. "She won't be coming after me for some time."

_::But she has a father who happens to be a weapons expert, an explosive expert who is her closest friend, and a clone who served as a Republic Commando in the Clone Wars who has decided to go native, and none of them have so much as a broken fingernail,::_ Spike said slowly, his tone causing Shaen to grit his teeth in irritation. _::And since _they're_ probably not going to be wasting any time, I suggest you get moving.::_

"Watch yourself, Spike," Shaen warned, pushing himself off the hull of his ship and starting towards the spaceport's exit. "You're starting to think you're calling the shots here, but you're expendable. Remember that."

_::And you remember that you're not the only one who has leverage,::_Spike's voice had dropped into anger, but Shaen just smiled.

The man truly had no idea how thin of a line he was walking, and how dangerous crossing that line would be. Shaen almost hoped Spike would cross it. He knew enough about Iam Sal to guess the man's reaction if Spike was handed to him, but the rest of them… That might be interesting to see. Dreysel especially. The man had a temper if you knew where to look, though he had gotten far more skilled at controlling it than he used to be. But if the issue of his _buir_ were to come back to the forefront…

"Just get me the coordinates to our target," Shaen instructed, choosing not to respond to Spike's threat. "And make sure they're right. According to her file, Caida is a lot like her former partner. I don't want another incident like before, especially since this time the entire Corellian SpecOps could be called in to back the woman up."

::_Copy_,:: Spike responded. Shaen signed off the comm, beginning to scan his surroundings. He wanted to be as prepared as possible before taking on Kadira's former partner. After that, he could look at drawing Dreysel out. It wouldn't be a bad thing for Iam to think Shaen was targeting those who had killed Coorta, and in fact it would be a good way to kill two birds with one stone. He could avenge Coorta's death and go after Iam at the same time.

"Well played, Coorta," he murmured, resting one hand on his pistol to be sure it was still there. "At least your death hasn't been for nothing."

* * *

"Find anything?" Iam asked, ducking into the small room that had been converted into a relay station for Ran's use. Any equipment that might come in handy for tracking down either Alaida Dain or Shaen had been moved into the space, allowing Ran to access almost any data he could possibly wish for. At the moment, he was hunched over a small datapad, scanning through the intel he had stored on it.

"Nothing yet," Ran murmured, waving a hand dismissively and pacing away.

Iam frowned, debating, before deciding not to comment. The man just dealt with stress and anger differently than the rest of them, that was all. While Iam, Laniff, and Jett had been careful to keep a close eye on Kadira while checking in with their own contacts, Ran had yet to emerge from his technological wonder cave to even inquire about her.

Iam finally sighed. "She's still doing well. Jett says she'll come to fairly soon, the sedative he used wasn't strong enough to keep her under longer."

Ran glanced up, but said nothing, his expression carefully blank.

"It's ok to care you know, son," Iam said finally, his voice gentle. "It's not some sort of weakness that you need to hide."

"Look where that got her," Ran responded, his voice a little too sharp. "I've tried it before, _Mando_, and it's only gotten in the way. Let me do my job, and you do yours."

With that he turned away, leaving Iam to sigh and make his way back to Kadira. Ran wasn't ready to open up yet. Maybe he never would be, but that was something Iam couldn't force. Not without either making an enemy of the man or bringing up memories that might be bad enough to break him. It had happened before, and it wasn't something Iam ever wanted to see happen again. Some people just couldn't cope with the past, and to dredge that up-

"You look like you're lost deep in thought," Kadira's ruined voice cut his thoughts short and his head snapped up, startled. He had stopped in the doorway of the med bay without even realizing it, and had apparently been there for some time. "Sorry, _buir_. Didn't mean to scare you," she added.

Her voice was tired and pained, but there was none of the agony or terror that Laniff had described earlier. Instead, she just looked worn thin, and a bit shell shocked. He would be too, if something cut through his armor like that. They all knew it was possible, but the chances of an enemy carrying a weapon that would do it were so low that to have it actually happen was sobering and frightening all at once. Even to an old _shabuir_ like him.

"I was lost in thought, that's all _ad'ika_," Iam responded with a smile, sitting down next to her bed. Jett stood nearby with arms crossed over his chest, watching Kadira closely, not doubt looking for signs that she was wearing herself out or needed another dose of painkillers. He had become the self-appointed watchdog of the group, and with Mij Gilamar's blessing. "How're you feeling?"

"Oh, not bad. Terrible, actually, but not bad," she said, forcing a smile and leaning her head back. "I can't move anything below my shoulders, though. I can't even feel anything , which is weird. It's like the rest of my body is just gone."

Iam watched her closely, recognizing the questioning tone and the hint of fear in her voice, as well as her forced attempts at humor. They were some of the surest signs that she was frightened and in pain. For her, complaining or anger meant she was in enough pain to feel it, but not enough that Iam needed to really worry. It was when she started trying to joke, to make the people around her laugh that he knew something wasn't right, that she was frightened. It was her way of trying to set the people around her at ease, because she knew something was seriously wrong. Instead, it just made Iam worry more.

"Mij says that's to be expected," he explained. "He said you have a case of spinal shock, which means your nerves are bruised. Until they heal, you won't be able to move anything below the injury point."

Kadira let out a breath. "But it will heal." It was a question, no matter how confidently it was worded. Her rasping voice could only hide so much, and even less from him.

"It will. You have a ruptured disk in your spine that won't, but that shouldn't slow you down much," Iam assured her.

"Did you find him?" Kadira asked.

"We know who he is. We're still working on tracking him down," Iam answered. "It looks like he had ties to Coorta and is coming after you for that."

Kadira made a face. "And Kahlse?"

Iam shook his head, knowing Kahlse was the girl Kadira had been in the middle of smuggling out.

"It looks like she was just collateral," he said gently.

"My guess is she sensed something through the Force, but didn't have the training to identify what it was. She just knew it was putting you in danger, and felt she had to help," Jett spoke up. "_Jetii_ were like that sometimes, back in the Clone Wars anyway."

"I sometimes forget you're old enough to remember that," Kadira said. "..She would have made a good Jedi. After she got control of that temper, but I think she could have done it. Given enough time."

"And you would have given her that time, if you could have," Iam replied. "We'll find him, _Kad'ika_, and we'll take him down. I promise."

Kadira nodded, then winced at the movement. Iam rose to his feet and kissed her forehead lightly, wishing he could wrap her in a hug but knowing that would only cause her pain instead of comfort.

"Get some rest, _ad'ika_," he said. "You'll need as much of it as you can get."

"Do you need a sedative?" Jett asked.

Kadira shook her head. "I'd rather try to sleep on my own first," she said, earning a nod from the clone.

"We've got monitors on you, so we'll know if anything changes," Jett assured her, offering a faint smile. "Now go to sleep, or I'll drug you again."

Kadira smiled slightly and gave the two men a pained mock salute as they left the room. The door slid shut behind them with a hiss, leaving the two to look at each other with a small amount of relief. At least she had been lucid this time, and had handled the news well enough.

"I'll check in with Laniff, see what news he has," Jett offered, earning a nod from Iam.

"I'll start checking with some of my contacts from the Clone Wars. At least some of them should still be around, and we could use all the help we can get," Iam replied.

* * *

"What in the galaxy are you even talking about, bucket-head?" Caida asked the holoprojection of Laniff Dreysel, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. The Mandalorian had somehow managed to hack into her secure channels for a transmission, and had started some rant about being sure his comm couldn't be traced. "Start from the beginning, not from 'Is this line secure?'. Which of course it is, this is a SpecOps line. Which, by the way, you shouldn't have access to-"

_::Caida, shut up,::_ Laniff cut in impatiently.

Caida stopped talking, startled. Laniff had been the one to tiptoe around her last time she'd seen him, apparently afraid of her temper. But now he was the one who had no patience.

_::Look, Kadira's been hurt. She was on a smuggling mission when things went wrong-::_

"What the fierfek was she smuggling?" Caida snapped, lurching forward and slamming her hand down on the table.

_::People,::_ was Laniff's short reply_. ::That's all you need to know right now. We're still working out the details ourselves. The point is, she's not in good shape. She told me if anything ever happened that was serious, to get in touch with you. Said you'd appreciate the warning.::_

"Warning…. Sithspit. You think this was a hit," Caida said slowly, realization dawning. "Is she alright? Why wasn't she wearing her armor?"

_::She was_ ,:: Laniff clarified. _::The man who shot her used a special type of ordnance that can cut through _beskar_. And we don't _think_ it was a hit, we know it was. She'll pull through, but she's in pretty bad shape right now.::_

"And her target? What about the person Kadira was smuggling?" Caida asked, already knowing the answer but needing to ask.

_::She's the only reason Kadira survived at all, but the girl was killed in the process.::_

"Sithspit," Caida cursed. "She won't handle that well."

_::I know. She'll be pushing to get back out as soon as she can to take down the _chakaar_ who did this, and she'll push herself beyond what she can handle right now to do it. That's why Iam and I are trying to find him first. If she can see we're making progress, we might be able to get her to rest and heal for at least a little longer.::_

"Good idea, but I doubt it'll work," Caida said, rubbing her face with one hand. "Give me a few hours and I can come to Mandalore-"

_::No,::_ Laniff cut in_. ::As much as it might help Kadira to have another familiar face, there's too much of a risk that you'll be traced back here. The _Vanguard_ has enough systems to keep that from happening, but your ships won't. If this guy finds his way back here, things will get even more dangerous than they already are. We can't risk that._::

Caida sighed. "Understood. I'll start digging from this end, see what I can find. Send me the intel you have and I'll get my people on it."

_::Caida, this man is dangerous-::_

"I got that, from the fact he _shot_ my partner," Caida snapped. "I'm not going to just sit by though. If I can't come out there to help, then you'd better believe I will work from here to bring down the man. I can handle myself. Now just get me the intel you have, or I'll be wasting time digging up what you've already got. Get moving, bucket-head."

Laniff sighed and Caida knew she had won the argument.

_::I'll get Ran to transmit everything he has,::_ Laniff agreed reluctantly_. ::Just be careful.::_

"It's not like he's going to come after me, you know," Caida said impatiently. "I'm just a training agent on Corellia. I doubt I'm even on his hit list."

_::Don't get too comfortable,::_ Laniff cautioned_. ::Or I'll send Jett out to be your bodyguard. Keep your eye out for a man in Mandalorian armor. Kadira said it was painted near-black. And be careful, I don't want to have to tell Kadira that you got yourself killed because you were too cocky.::_

Caida waved him off before shutting down the comm and leaning back in her chair, frowning. Kadira was the one who going to get herself killed one of these days. She always had been the reckless one, but still. Caida sighed and rose, tucking her holocommunicator back into her pocket. It would take some time for Ran to send her everything he had, and she had another training session to get to. She'd take Laniff's advice and be careful, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was run for cover.

Caida hesitated a moment before pulling her comm back out and punching in a number. It couldn't hurt to set her own contacts working to keep an eye out for Kadira's attacker here. If Laniff was contacting her to warn her, it wouldn't do to ignore it. She'd never hear the end of it if she didn't at least set her contacts looking.

* * *

_::Is it taken care of?::_

"I know how to set an explosive, Spike," Shaen growled in response. "As soon as Caida uses her speeder, we'll be able to move on. And it should be soon, your schedules say she has another training group scheduled, and her records say she doesn't miss those. Dreysel and Scorlo's attention will be drawn here, and they'll start tracking down the explosives to try to find out where they came from. By the time they figure out it's a red herring, it'll be too late."

_::You're sure the explosion will kill her?::_

"Yes. But you sound awfully eager, Spike. Bit of personal revenge here?" Shaen asked, genuinely curious. Spike had been insistent that Caida be their next target, while Shaen would have preferred to go after someone closer to Coorta's death. Maybe the clone, someone who would leave no question of the ties to his now-dead partner. But Spike had insisted, and Shaen had relented. It didn't much matter to him who died, just so long as everything circled back around to Iam.

:_:Just follow the plan, and make sure Caida doesn't make it off Corellia. If anyone has a chance at taking Kadira's place in the team until that woman heals, it'll be her former partner. And believe me, she's not someone you want Iam and Laniff to join up with.::_

Shaen chuckled, glad to have gotten a rise out of the other man. Spike didn't have nearly the control he believed- all it took was the right words to shake the man.

"She won't be joining up with anyone," Shaen responded. "I guarantee it."

* * *

Spike signed off his comm and smiled, punching in another number.

"Everything's going as planned," he said, not bothering with an introduction. In fact, he'd been specifically told not to. If Dreysel or Scorlo stumbled across any records of this channel, things could still move along if no names were used. They'd just be a little bit more nervous than they would have otherwise been.

_::He has no idea?::_ the voice on the other end was female, but that alone wouldn't be enough to identify his contact.

"He still thinks I'm just out for revenge on Kadira. As nice as that aspect will be, the larger plan's still in place," Spike confirmed.

_::Just keep it that way. This has been in the making far too long to be used as just a vendetta. Yours or his.::_

"Copy that," Spike replied. "I'll get him as far as we need him to be. After that, I'll make sure he gets rid of me, and he can do whatever he pleases with Iam Sal. So long as we have what we want."

_::We'll have it. One way or another.::_

Spike smiled and signed off. This had been a plan long in the making, starting with Kadira's kidnapping and leading up to here. Now it was time to watch the rest of the game play out.

"Get ready, Ran," he murmured, pacing to the viewport of the ship that was orbiting around the planet of Mandalore. "Your entire world is about to come crashing down around your ears. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. Not this time."

* * *

_A/N: Apologies for the long delay. This time was entirely my fault, as I decided last minute to change a rather important detail, and had to spend some time working out the consequences of that. As always, thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please leave me a review _


	8. Chapter 8

Kadira kept her eyes closed as she listened to the sound of Laniff and Iam in the next room. She wasn't able to make out their words due to the sound of the medical equipment humming beside her, but it was still comforting to be able to hear the low murmur of voices she recognized. It kept her from slipping back into darker thoughts, something she knew she couldn't handle right now.

"You going to keep pretending to be asleep?" Jett's accented voice was slightly amused, and Kadira cracked one eye open to look at him.

"I'm not pretending to sleep," Kadira protested groggily, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. The pain-inhibiting part of the sedatives was wearing off already, though she still had trouble thinking straight just yet. She glanced at the chronometer at her bedside and lifted an eyebrow as she saw the time. "…You didn't drug me very strongly this time, did you? It's only been a couple of hours."

Jett shook his head, leaning back in his chair and setting the pistol he'd been fiddling with aside. "I gave you a light sedative this time, figured it would be good for you to be awake for a while," he said.

"Any news on the hunt?" Kadira inquired, trying to ignore the fact that she couldn't move anything below her shoulders. It was frustrating not to be able to even shift her weight, leaving her feeling completely helpless. Something she hated.

Jett was shaking his head in answer to her question, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Kadira noted that he was dressed in his armor, something that was comforting. He was beginning to wear it like a second skin. Like a Mando.

"No sign of him or Alaida Dain yet," he said gently. "Ran has been working on it non-stop, as has your _buir's_ contact, Jonika. They have a few leads, but nothing more. Not yet…"

Kadira sighed and closed her eyes. She spoke again after a moment of silence. "Thank you, Jett… I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"Laniff and Ran did their fair share," Jett said, his voice dismissive. "And Gilamar is the one who got you stabilized."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't have even made it home to _Manda'yaim_ if you hadn't helped first," Kadira countered. She opened one eye and lifted an eyebrow at him. "Just accept the gratitude, _vod_. It's not often people in this galaxy say thank you. You're allowed to enjoy it."

Jett hesitated a moment before nodding.

"…You're welcome, _vod_. Besides, you pulled me out of some pretty serious _osik_ first. Least I could do was repay you by doing the same."

"You didn't get yourself shot, as I recall." As soon as she said it, she felt her breath rush out and she squeezed her eyes shut , fighting back the sudden resurgence of the memories she was trying so hard to keep at bay. Trauma could be like that. One moment you thought you were fine, and the next you were gasping for air, struggling to breathe through the memories that were strangling you. She knew it, and yet that didn't make it easier to cope with

"_Kad'ika_… You did all you could," Jett's voice was soft, gentle even. She heard him move closer, but she didn't open her eyes, afraid that if she did she would lose what restraint she felt she had. And right now she desperately needed to feel at least a little bit in control. "You couldn't have known he would be on the rooftops. None of our tech picked him up, which means he planned ahead. He knew where you were and how to get around our systems. You can't be blamed for that."

"And yet it was my job to keep her safe, to get her offworld. She survived her whole life on Coruscant, right under the Emperor's nose," Kadira responded through gritted teeth. "She was… she was so close. So close to a new life. _Cin vhetin_. White snow. She deserved that chance… all she wanted was to find peace."

She jumped slightly when Jett's hand closed around hers. She hadn't heard him move this time.

"Look at me, _Kad'ika_," he said simply. "…Kadira, look at me."

Kadira obeyed on the second request, opening her eyes to look at the clone's face. She expected to find pity there, maybe even a rebuke. Instead, there was only understanding.

"_Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la," _he said softly. "'Not gone, merely marching far away.' Do you remember what she said to you before she died? Her comm picked it up so I heard when I played back through the data."

Kadira shook her head. "I don't know. The whole thing is just…" she trailed off, making a vague gesture with one hand.

Jett nodded and clasped her hand with both of his, offering comfort in the only way he knew how to. Like a soldier would, through strength given to another.

"She said she found peace," he said, offering a small smile. "Now I don't claim to be an expert with _jetii_, but do you want to know what I think? I think she found what some Jedi in the Clone Wars would have called their true calling. To sacrifice for others, and find peace in knowing that their lives were not lived only for themselves. I think _that_ is the peace she was looking for, that she finally found."

"Jett!" Laniff's shout interrupted any reply Kadira might have made as the red and gold armored Mandalorian appeared in the doorway. "We need you. Now. _Kad'ika,_ you alright?"

Kadira nodded, seeing the urgency in her old friend's face. "Go on, Jett," she urged when he hesitated. "And _vod_?"

He turned back to face her, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Thank you."

Jett offered her a small smile, seeming to realize she was not talking about her rescue this time, but his words. He gave her a mock salute before following Laniff out the door. Kadira sighed and leaned her head back to gaze at the ceiling, mulling over Jett's words.

* * *

"_Cyar'ika_," Laniff said the word blandly, but Jett caught the sideways glance that accompanied it.

"What?" Jett asked, frowning as the two made their way down one of the bastion's many halls. Laniff had yet to tell him why he had called Jett out of the medbay, instead waving off Jett's questions impatiently.

"_Cyar'ika_. You called her that on board the _Vanguard_, when she was too out of it to notice."

Jett said nothing, hoping the other man would drop it. He definitely was not in the mood to explain his use of the term. Especially if _this_ was why Laniff had called him away.

"It means 'Sweetheart'… Or 'darling'," Laniff added after another moment of silence.

"I know what it means," Jett growled, ignoring the way the corner of Laniff's mouth hitched upward at the reaction. If he acknowledged it, it might make him say or do something he would later regret. "Is _this_ what you called me out of there to ask?"

Laniff shook his head. "No… Just thought I'd mention it," he said, ducking into a room and leaving Jett to stand outside for a moment, biting back a stinging retort. He hadn't even realized he had said the word out loud, much less that he'd been overheard. He'd been busy trying to calm Kadira down. Too busy to watch his mouth, apparently.

When Jett did step into the room, he found Laniff standing calmly next to Iam, as if the conversation had never taken place. Jett took a seat as well, suppressing a sigh. If he had learned anything about Iam's adopted children – both unofficial and official – it was that they didn't let situations drop easily. And Iam probably would hear about it, too.

"What's going on?" Jett asked, unable to stand the silence for long. He could almost feel Laniff's amusement alongside the fierce protective streak the Mando had demonstrated towards Kadira in the past. Jett winced. He was definitely going to hear about it again.

"We're getting a distress call," Iam replied, seeming to be completely unaware of Jett's unease, something the clone was grateful for. "But it's coming in on one of Kadira's channels. It's taken me a little bit of time to try to get the signal here, but…" he trailed off as the holoprojector in the room sprang to life, flickering for a moment before solidifying to show Caida's panicked features.

_::Well it's about fierfekking time,:: _the woman snapped. _::I've been trying to get through to you!::_

"We had some issues getting the signal," Iam responded calmly. "What's the trouble?"

Jett glanced at the man, beginning to recognize why Iam had been chosen as one of the _Cuy'val Dar_ in the Clone Wars, those who served as training sergeants to the clones, and later as some commanding officers. Iam was the type of man who could keep his head in even the most stressful of situations, something he had no doubt passed onto the clones he had trained. It would be an invaluable asset on a battlefield, and one that didn't rely purely on talent. It could be taught and learned.

_::I have a _bomb_ on my speeder, that's the trouble,::_ Caida snarled.

"Get out of there," Laniff snapped immediately, leaning forward with one hand on Iam's shoulder for support. Jett found himself leaning forward in his seat, glancing between the holoimage of Caida and Iam's serious face.

_::Oh, now why didn't I think of that? Thank you _so_ much for your help, bucket-head,::_ Caida responded acidly. _::I _can't_ get out, you idiot. As soon as I open my door, the bomb goes off. It may even have a sensor that tells if the speeder is moving or not, I don't know, I can't see.::  
_  
"How did you find it?" Iam cut in.

_::I closed my door and heard a click. When I looked over, I saw a wire under the passenger seat, and when I tugged on that wire-::_

Laniff groaned and hung his head. "Caida… Why did you tug on the wire?" he asked, his words slow and painfully patient. "You probably loosened it from its seating, starting the timer before it was supposed to start."

_::Forgive me, I'm not used to finding bombs in my speeder,::_ Caida replied sharply. :_:I saw a weird wire, and I tugged on it. Now tell me what to do!::_

Both Iam and Jett looked to Laniff, who sighed and nodded. Iam immediately vacated his seat, allowing Laniff to take the spot without a word.

"Alright, Caida," Laniff said, speaking directly into the comm. "Tell me what this bomb looks like. And be as precise as you can."

_::It's small, about the size of my hand. It's mostly round, with about five different wires underneath the casing. All of them are the same color, but three are connected to a small phial of liquid, while the other two seem to be hooked up to the speeder itself. I can't see where the wires go, not without getting out of my seat.::_

"Don't lift your weight off the seat," Laniff instructed firmly. "Does one of the other three wires look like it could lead to your chair?"

Caida glanced off to the side, obviously checking.

_::Looks like it's a possibility,::_ she confirmed after only a brief moment

"Then definitely don't lift your weight. My guess is there's a sensor that's tied to both your door and your seat, which would make it impossible for you to be extracted without setting off the bomb."

_"Way to keep me calm, Laniff,::_Caida muttered.

"I'm not telling you to scare you, I'm telling you so you know what we're up against," Laniff answered smoothly. "The good news is that this sounds like a very basic bomb. No doubt he didn't expect you to find it, so didn't worry about making it complex. The bad news is that we aren't going to be able to totally disarm it…"

_::…What do you mean?:: _Caida asked after a moment of silence.

"I mean that I hope you're not too attached to that speeder," Laniff clarified with a glance at Iam. "We can delay the explosion long enough for you to clear the area and get out of the danger zone."

_::You positive?:: _

"Completely," Laniff answered, but Jett flinched, knowing that was an overstatement. The odds weren't bad, but they certainly weren't the best either. He glanced at Iam, but caught the subtle shake of the man's head. Now wasn't the time to make that fact known. All it would do would be to make Caida even more nervous.

Caida sighed. _::Sithspit. I just bought this thing, too... Alright, tell me what I need to do and I'll do it.::_

Iam leaned back and placed a hand on Jett's shoulder.

"Best go let _Kad'ika_ know what's going on," he murmured as Laniff began instructing Caida on how to block the bomb's sensors long enough to allow her to exit the speeder and hopefully get to safety. "She'll want to hear all the details, and I'll keep you up to date on the comms."

Seeing Jett's questioning look, Iam offered a grim smile. "I'd rather not leave Kadira to her own thoughts for too long right now," he confessed.

Jett nodded, immediately understanding. "I'll keep my eye on her," he promised, rising to his feet.

Iam offered his own nod in response, before turning back to the holoimage of Caida.

Jett glanced back once before leaving the room, noticing the way Caida seemed to have calmed down after being given clear instructions on what to do. She was a tough one, that was for sure. Though why Shaen had apparently chosen to target her would take some digging into. After all, she'd had nothing to do with Coorta's death…Jett frowned at the thought, his step faltering. He had the uneasy feeling there was more to this whole situation than any of them were seeing.

* * *

Caida could see her hands shaking. She was used to shootouts, pursuits, even bomb threats. But she had always had backup, she could always see her enemy, and it had never been personal. No one had ever placed a bomb in her speeder with the sole intention of killing her. At least when she was pursuing a criminal she could shoot back. But how did you defend yourself against a bomb?

_::Caida?::_ It was Iam's voice this time, slightly fainter than Laniff's indicating Iam was slightly further away from the comm_. ::Are you alright?::_

Caida let out a shaky laugh, suddenly understanding why Kadira had chosen to become a part of this man's family, why she had let him adopt her. He was a father figure even to those he barely knew, and stars knew Kadira had always needed that. Kadira's father had died when she was just a kid, and she had never gotten to know him before that. He was always busy with the SpecOps, off on some mission or another. He had been a good man when he was there, but those times were rare. And yet here was Iam, parsecs away, yet still calm and comforting even from a distance. It made Caida finally understand her former partner's choice.

"I'm… not sure," Caida answered finally, the sharpness gone from her tone for once. "I'm shaking and I can't seem to stop."

_::Take a breath, and stop thinking about what could go wrong,:: _Iam instructed. _::Focus on what you're doing right now, not on anything else.::_

"Had many near-death experiences?" Caida asked, more to keep him talking than anything else. She needed something to help her stay focused as she reached for the small bomb next to her once more. Her hands were steadier this time. "I'm slipping this between the wires, right Laniff?" she asked, looking at the small strip of metal backed with rubber that had come from her steering console.

_::That's right,::_ Laniff answered.

_::More than a few,::_ Iam responded lightly. _::And I've come out of all of them. We'll get you out of this one, Caida.::_

Caida nodded, knowing both men could see her. She bit her lip and slid the small strip of metal forward between the two wires, blocking the signal to the sensor hooked to the speeder.

She let out a breath when nothing exploded. "Alright, it's done. What now?"

_::Now you have to steer low enough to the ground to make an exit,::_ Laniff responded immediately. _::Preferably in a secluded area. After that, lock your steering and engines and bail out. You'll have a few seconds before the bomb goes off. You've blocked the sensor, so it won't register right away that the door has opened.::_

_::You'll have to move fast, so be careful of your timing,::_ Iam added.

"What do I do afterwards?" Caida asked.

_::I have a contact on her way to pick you up,::_ Iam informed her_. ::We'll probably lose you on the comm once the bomb goes off, so listen carefully. You're looking for an arms dealer by the name of Zarah Tanis. She'll get you to a safe house and make sure you have everything you need. Make sure you only go with her, understand?::_

"Got it," Caida confirmed. "...Alright, here goes nothing."

She began steering the speeder towards a more secluded area, aiming to lower her altitude so she could actually survive a fall. The last thing she wanted was to die from jumping out of her speeder after managing to thwart a bomb threat. When she reached one of the abandoned city blocks, Caida blew out a breath and unbuckled her restraints, knowing she wouldn't want to have to try to do so when time was of the essence.

"Alright, I'm about to jump," she informed Laniff and Iam, steering her speeder so she was only a few feet above ground level. She bit her lip and locked both her steering and engine functions before glancing at the bomb in the seat next to her. "What's it you lot say before doing something stupid?"

_::Oya?::_ Laniff guessed.

"Yeah…" Caida confirmed, blowing out a breath. "_Oya_."

With that, she opened the door and threw herself out of the speeder.

* * *

_A/N: Once again, thanks for your patience with me :) I'll try to keep updating at least once a week, hopefully more often now that summer is here. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

"You know you've gone through three full clips of ammo," the voice was Iam's and Laniff turned with a sigh, lowering the rifle from his shoulder.

Iam knew exactly where to find him when he was stressed. There was nothing better than pouring ammunition into a target, adjusting your aim, perfecting your stance, and being forced to clear your mind from everything else. There was something about a sniper rifle and the stillness that a perfect shot demanded that helped Laniff cope with everything going on around him.

They had yet to hear from Caida, and Ran was still struggling to track down Alaida Dain or Shaen. It had been over a day since Caida had called about the bomb, and Laniff was restless. He had taken to target practice in Iam's range, one of the few places he felt like he was actually _doing_ something. Besides, he knew Iam didn't really mind that he was using up ammo. The man always had plenty in stock for just such a reason. After all, he had been the one to teach both Laniff and Kadira that practice with a weapon just might be the thing to save your life in the field. The more you knew about the gun you were firing, the more likely you were to survive when your life depended on that weapon.

"How's _Kad'ika_?" Laniff asked, setting the sniper rifle aside and moving to one of the many shelves in the room to dig out a pistol instead.

"Bardan's with her," Iam answered, leaning back against the wall, his armor clinking slightly as it scraped against the duracrete. All of them had been wearing almost full armor since Kadira's injury. Armor in the bastion wasn't unusual, but the fact that they were all constantly armed to the teeth was. Even when they slept, there was always a rifle within reach, a pistol on the table, and a vibroblade under the pillow. At least in Laniff's case. He had a feeling Iam packed even more.

"You should stop calling him that," Laniff pointed out, choosing a LL-30 pistol from Iam's vast collection. "He's Gotab now, and you don't want to bring the Empire down on Skirata's clan. He won't thank you for it, _Cuy'val Dar_ or not."

Iam tilted his head in acknowledgement of the point, moving to join Laniff to grab a matching pistol. Laniff hid a smile, knowing the man handled stress the same way he did. Iam had practically raised him after his father's death, so it made sense that Laniff had picked up some of the man's characteristics.

"B- Gotab," Iam caught himself, earning a sideways look from Laniff, but no comment, "says _Kad'ika_ should be up and moving around soon."

"I thought Gilamar said a few weeks, not a few days," Laniff asked, a frown furrowing his brow as he loaded the pistol.

"He did, but he was using traditional medical knowledge. Gotab's not restricted by that," Iam replied with a shrug. "He tried to explain it, but all I came away with was that it had something to do with the Force and that it was over my head."

Laniff shrugged. "Sounds reasonable to me. The Force part. Not the part about you being in over your head," he clarified.

Iam chuckled, loading his own pistol. "I'll rest easier when we track down this _chakaar_. Maybe then we'll actually feel safe."

Laniff glanced over at the other man, noticing how tired he seemed. Tired, but still more dangerous than most men half his age. Iam was a force to be reckoned with, something Laniff knew from personal experience.

"You look like you have something on your mind_, Iam'buir_," Laniff observed finally, his voice soft. Something was obviously grating on the man.

Iam sighed. "…Ran dug something up. Not on Shaen, at least not directly. But he found something that could point to your _buir's_ death. Looks like he was in contact with quite a few of the sources we've already tracked down. He might have been part of the same group, maybe even heard something..."

Laniff went rigid, his gaze snapping to Iam's. The older man didn't look up, instead continuing to carefully check over the LL-30 pistol. Laniff stared at him until Iam finally looked up, his gaze understanding.

"I wasn't sure if I should tell you until we found something more solid," Iam explained. "I know how important it is to you-"

"And how badly it ended the last time the trail went cold," Laniff finished the thought, setting his pistol aside and sitting down to run one hand through his hair. "I meant it, _buir_. I can't keep chasing ghosts. Every time I'm close to finding the _hut'uun_ who killed my _buir_ and then the leads go dead…" he shook his head, anger sparking in his eyes. "I just can't keep doing it… And yet I can't let it go, either."

Iam nodded. "I'll ask Jonika to look into it on the side," he promised. "If she finds anything that looks solid, I'll let you know. If not, I won't bring it up again. Not until there's actually something to follow up on."

Iam slid the magazine into his pistol with a snap, turning to face the targets downrange. After a moment, Laniff followed suit, his mind whirling.

* * *

Gotab exited Kadira's room, running one hand through his blonde hair and offering Jett a smile. The clone had been standing outside the entire time, unwilling to leave his charge for more than a few minutes.

"She can move now," he said, answering the question Jett had just been about to ask. "I managed to heal the bruised spinal nerves enough that she'll be able to feel everything below the injury point. But she's still on bed rest, so try not to let her get up and move around. I'd rather give her as much time as we can to heal without her risking pulling something or opening that wound back up."

Jett nodded in understanding. "I'll do my best," he promised, earning an understanding grin from Gotab.

They both knew it wasn't likely that Kadira would stay still for long, even under normal circumstances. With Shaen still running around, and still no word from Caida, they would be lucky if they got her to rest for another week. Anything beyond that would be a miracle.

"Thanks for helping her out, _vod_," Jett said finally, glancing back at the medbay. "I don't think she could have handled the paralysis much longer."

Gotab simply nodded in response, unclipping his helmet from his side. "Who can blame her? Just… try to keep her from blaming herself too much for the girl's death. Force Users don't live long in this galaxy, and Kadira can't be blamed for it. Especially when she tried so hard to get the girl offworld."

Jett sighed. "I'll do my best, but you know how she is."

"Just like any other Mando," Gotab agreed grimly. "We don't like failure. Especially when we feel like we failed someone else."

Jett winced, but nodded, knowing the man couldn't possibly know how close to home that comment hit. Jett would have done anything for his own _vod_, back when they were still alive. And yet he was the only one left, still unsure exactly what it was he was supposed to be doing.

Jett walked Gotab to the entrance in silence, seeing the man off with a wave before the doors slid closed and sealed with a hiss. Jett sighed and turned back to the interior of the bastion, his gaze running over the simple, yet strong, construction absently. He was lost in thought, Gotab's words driving him back to the constant dilemma he seemed to face, one even Kadira and Laniff wouldn't understand.

He didn't belong anywhere, arguably in the entire galaxy, or at least that's how it felt. The war he had been created for was over, the sacrifices of his _vod_ forgotten by almost everyone save those who had actually been there. The Republic he had fought for didn't exist any longer and the Jedi he had served with had been wiped out. Most of his brothers were dead and those that weren't were close to twice his age physically. Unless, of course, Skirata had managed to find a cure for the advanced aging… Rumors in the ranks during the war had hinted that the Sergeant was searching, but whether or not he'd actually found something… Jett sighed and shook his head. After all this was over and Shaen was caught, maybe he'd try to find a way to get in touch with Skirata, see if those rumors had been true. Until then, he had his work cut out for him just trying to keep Kadira from doing anything that might slow her recovery.

* * *

One day. That's how long Jett succeeded in keeping Kadira on bed rest. He had come out of his room that morning to find her shakily walking, using the walls for support as she made her way around the bastion. She had looked incredibly guilty when he'd found her, gingerly sitting down against the wall and propping her feet up on a nearby box to await the lecture she no doubt knew was coming.

Her guilt hadn't lasted long, to be truthful. Instead, it had been replaced by a stubborn tilt of her chin and mischief in her eyes, something even under the circumstances he had to admit he had missed. Still, Jett looked down at her with arms crossed over his chest, keeping the frown on his face. She wasn't wearing the white med robe she had been in before, instead she had somehow managed to find her normal clothes- at least the ones she wore when she wasn't in _beskar'gam_. She had donned simple black pants with the Corellian Bloodstripe up the outside of the legs, along with a rumpled white shirt and a black armorleather jacket over the top. She looked disheveled and tired, but there was a spark in her eyes that had been missing, one that dared him to call her out on her attempted escape from the medbay. Frankly he wondered if she noticed that her shirt was buttoned unevenly and that her hair was tangled, or if she simply didn't care. He glanced down and noticed she was barefoot as well. Probably just didn't care, then. She wasn't tired enough to overlook _all_ of that, and she wasn't on a sedative either.

He met her gaze with an eyebrow lifted, earning a narrow-eyed look in response.

"You're supposed to be resting," he pointed out after a long moment of silence.

"I am," Kadira responded, gesturing to her makeshift footstool. "See? Feet up and everything."

"Only after you were caught."

"That should have no bearing on the situation whatsoever," Kadira retorted swiftly, leaning forward before wincing and lifting her hand to her shoulder.

"Kad-"

"I'm not going to go lay back down. So there's no use trying to suggest I should," she interrupted him. "I'm tired of lying in the same room, staring at the same ceiling."

"So what was the plan?" This time it was Laniff's voice and Jett looked up. The man was leaning against the doorframe, holding a cup of caf with both eyebrows raised. How he managed to move so quietly, Jett still didn't know. "Come in here and stare at this ceiling instead? It's not much different you know. Except I think there's an uneven patch over there, but don't tell Iam I said that. He'll fight me over it."

Kadira was silent for a moment, glancing between the two men as if trying to gauge whether or not she was going to be able to convince them to let her keep her newfound freedom. Finally, she sighed.

"I hate holding still and feeling useless," she said finally. "I just want to move, to be able to help somehow. I'm sick of being confined to the medbay while everyone else _does_ something."

Jett and Laniff sighed at the same time, exchanging a glance.

"There's not really anything to be done at the moment," Jett said finally. "We're all mostly walking around in full armor and keeping our weapons in reach. Though Ran's buried in records, trying to trace something back to Shaen… Best thing you can do right now is to rest and try to recover."

Kadira sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.

"…Let me contact Em. I need a new backplate anyway, and Jett needs something heavier than what he has," she said finally, opening her eyes and looking at both of them.

"Absolutely not," Laniff replied. "You are not going into Keldabe. Not a chance. If he tracked you here-"

"Ok, fine. No armor, not until you clear that Shaen didn't track us here… At least let me work with some weapons though. I promise to rest, but I need to be doing _something_," she was pleading now, something Jett had never seen her do. She was desperate, then, and sick of being told to sit on the sidelines and heal… She was a Mando through and through.

Laniff struggled for a moment, his hand tightening around the cup before he finally blew out a breath.

"Fine. But Jett's going to be watching you and making sure you don't overdo it," he said.

"Why me?" Jett asked, surprised Laniff wasn't insisting on doing it himself.

"Because I'm likely to get distracted if she puts something big and dangerous onto one of the rifles and forget that I'm supposed to be watching _her_, not playing with the guns," Laniff answered wryly, taking a drink of his caf as Jett laughed aloud.

"It's happened before," Kadira informed Jett wryly, adjusting her seating so she was leaning back more and taking some of the strain off her shoulder.

She looked positively smug at having won her victory, small as it was. Her expression reminded him of another time, not too long ago, when she'd propped her booted feet up on the _Vanguard's_ console, looking smug when Laniff had been forced to explain why Kadira had a larger bounty on her head than he did. Something to do with causing the Empire more trouble than Laniff had, if Jett remembered correctly. He still suspected Laniff had meant it as a barb, but Kadira had just grinned all the wider, as if she'd been awarded a medal. It was good to see some of her spirit back, rather than the fear or pain that had been dominant in her expression ever since the Coruscant incident. Though it did make it much more difficult to keep her careful of her own injuries, but still. Jett was determined to focus on the positive for the moment. He could always let Laniff and Iam deal with her the rest of the time.

"It doesn't all fit you know," Kadira's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Jett looked down at her, surprised.

"What doesn't?"

"Shaen," Kadira answered. "Or whatever his real name is… I've been trying to think, to remember, but I'm positive…"

"A subject would help, _Kad'ika_," Laniff pointed out calmly, taking another swallow of caf and pulling up a chair. Apparently he had decided to let Kadira enjoy her freedom for at least a little while longer.

"The idea about Coorta, that he came after me due to her death," Kadira explained.

"I doubt he knows it was Spike who killed her," Laniff pointed out, but Kadira was shaking her head.

"Death Watch is like us in the fact that they wear pieces of armor from people they care about who have died. Whether they're family, or partners, or friends… But Shaen was wearing all the same color. No mismatched plates, no mementos of Coorta. Even his weapons were new, nothing Coorta ever used. Also, you have the _Revenge_, which was Coorta's ship, and yet he left you alone entirely. There's no way he's unaware of who now owns that ship, especially if they were partners. She was alive long enough after that to have told him, or for him to have found out...If he was angry enough to track me down on Coruscant of all places, when we were incredibly careful to make sure we covered our tracks, then he must have been very well connected. And if he has the resources to track the _Vanguard_…"

"Then he would probably have the contacts to view the footage of Coorta's death," Jett finished the thought for her. Kadira pointed one finger at him approvingly, nodding.

"The Imps no doubt stripped the footage when they retook Spike's base. It's not that hard to hack into Imperial records, at least not if you know what you're doing."

"You know, most people probably don't hold conversations that talk about how simple it is to steal intel from the Empire," Laniff muttered, but his comment was distracted. "…But why would he go through all of this? Everything points to Coorta…" he sounded less certain, and Kadira smiled.

"There's the fun part," Kadira said. "We get to figure it out, because I have no idea. Everything points to it on the surface, but once you start digging, the theory starts to unravel. Granted, it probably wouldn't have been big enough for me to notice, except that I've been stuck staring at the ceiling with nothing else to do but think."

"You're terrible at resting," Laniff complained. "But in this case, I think you might be right…"

"We'd best tell Ran to widen his search," Jett said finally. "But subtly. If Shaen wanted us to think he was avenging Coorta when in fact he has a different motive, then it's possible we're missing a huge amount of intel just because we don't know where to look."

"So basically we're back to square one. Lovely," Laniff said, draining his cup and standing.

"I would say you're welcome, but I have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice of words at the moment," Kadira said with a wince, earning a chuckle from Laniff.

"Not your fault we've been chasing ghosts," he answered. Jett saw the shadow of an expression cross over the Mandalorian's face at the words, but it was gone before Jett could even be sure he'd seen it at all. "I'll go track down Ran in his cave. Jett, help Kadira to her room and keep an eye on her. I'll send Iam up with some ordnance for her to play with. And _Kad'ika_, don't blow a hole in the wall again."

"You were the one who gave me the schematics," Kadira protested.

"And you're the one who pieced it together," Laniff retorted. "I can't be held responsible for the fact that you tried to add two-hundred year old modifications to a new blaster. How was I supposed to know the power cell couldn't take the load? How was anyone, actually, until you tried it."

Kadira grimaced. "I _will_ get that to work one day."

"Until you work out the bugs in the design, let's be safe and stick with things you know will work," Jett cut in, helping Kadira to her feet. "I'd rather not get blown up just so you don't have to be bored in the medbay."

* * *

_A/N: Very very big apology for the delay in posting. My life managed to get away from me once again…_

_Also, it looks like this story will actually end up being quite a bit longer than the last ones, so thank you for sticking with me thus far :) As always, I love reviews!_


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing Caida noticed as she came to was that the ground she was laying on was cold and hard. She soon became aware of the fact that she also felt like she'd been stepped on by a bantha. When she tried to sit up she winced, her muscles pulling in protest of the movement. Make that two banthas.

She glanced around at her surroundings, unable to make out much. It was almost pitch black, with only a faint orange glow at the other side of what she could only assume was a large room. A draft of cool air washed over her and she shivered, clutching her jacket tightly around her shoulders. She muttered darkly as her fingers found a hole in the leather, no doubt from her fall from the speeder. Sithspit, and she had just bought it a week ago.

She sighed and pushed herself gingerly to her feet. Her pistol was still holstered at her side, the weight and feel comforting as she brushed her hand over it. Granted, she probably wouldn't be able to hit anything in the dark with it, seeing as she had no way of spotting any sort of target to shoot at. Still, it was better than being unarmed. She squinted as she made her way closer to the orange light, frowning as her surroundings became a bit clearer. She wasn't in a room, but a cavern. Small batches of crystals were clustered in groups about the walls of the cave, some as large as her forearm, while others were smaller than her thumb. She couldn't make out their coloring in the orange tinted light, but she was almost certain that if she had a lamp of her own she would find that they would be orange as well. There had been rumors of caves on Corellia that held orange lightsaber crystals, though she had always heard they were underwater. She had always dismissed the idea, or at least set it aside, as the rest of CorSec seemed willing to do. The last thing the Corellian Security Force wanted was to give the Empire a reason to strip Corellia's countryside in hopes of finding the crystals if those rumors were ever confirmed. After all, it had happened before, to worlds that were less cautious about what information made its way back up to the Imps. Corellia was determined that it wouldn't happen to them.

Caida glanced around and let out a low whistle, turning slowly to take in the small area of the no doubt large cavern that she could see. She didn't exactly know why she got the impression that it was massive, except that it just _felt_ huge. Some sixth sense told her that she was in a room that would no doubt awe her if she could see the full size.

"Amazing, isn't it?" a cheerful voice said from behind her.

Caida whirled, pistol drawn to find a young Mirialan woman, probably in her early twenties. The woman raised both hands, but the smile didn't leave her face. Caida wavered, uncertain.

"Please tell me Iam didn't forget to tell you I was coming to pull you out," the woman said, lowering her hands and stepping further into the faint orange light so Caida could see her better. She didn't seem all that concerned with the pistol Caida still held trained on her, instead kneeling and digging through a small satchel Caida hadn't seen in the uncertain light. "The name is Zarah, Zarah Tanis?" the Mirialan offered, glancing up with one black eyebrow lifted.

Caida noted the woman's hair was cropped short, falling just above her shoulders and pulled half back to keep it out of her face. Her cheekbones and chin sported a set of geometric tattoos, the simple black designs striking against the pale green tone of her skin. Her eyes were silver in color, a spark of mischief in them that reminded Caida strongly of her former partner. The Mirialan was slim, clad in simple clothing that was strangely offset by the heavily modified, expensive looking blaster hanging at her waist.

_Arms dealer_, she remembered suddenly. Iam had said he was sending an arms dealer called Zarah Tanis to help her out. Thoughlooking at her, Caida wondered just how...legal the arms she dealt in were.

"How do I know you are who you say you are?" Caida asked, lowering her pistol slightly. She was fairly convinced by the blaster alone, but it didn't hurt to play it safe.

"Suspicious. Good," Zarah said with a nod, rising to her feet. "That means you're smart. And in answer, you know I'm me because I can tell you Kadira Sal flies an X-70B Phantom that she custom built with a nasty security system, she was adopted by Iam Sal, a man who could stand a shave, and her almost-brother Laniff Dreysel in a pain in the _shebs_, if you'll excuse my use of the Mando term…" she stopped a moment then grinned, holding out a holoprojector. "Also I have this."

She thumbed the device on, shifting her weight back and waiting for whoever was on the other end to pick up. Caida waited, breathing a sigh of relief when Iam's form shimmered into being.

"Hello, Sal," Zarah said cheerfully,offering a wave before turned the projector towards Caida. "Your friend here would like confirmation that I am who I say I am. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you told her to keep her CorSec buddies off my back for a while in exchange for pulling her out."

Coming from anyone else, the suggestion would have made Caida bristle. If it hadn't been stated in such a carefree way, with a wink cast in her direction, she might have taken it as an ultimatum, a ransom in return for pulling her out of Coronet City after the bomb had gone off. But something in the woman's tone made it clear she was only jesting, even if she would no doubt appreciate the gesture.

_::Caida. Good to finally hear from you. This is Zarah Tanis, my weapons expert and contact in the underworld. She's completely trustworthy, so you can put your blaster away,:: _his voice held humor, and Caida grimaced, doing as he said_. ::How are you feeling, _ad'ika_?::_

"Sore," Caida answered honestly. "But alive, which is a plus."

_::Good. Zarah has your hideout stocked as a safehouse, and you're out of contact. Even I don't know where you are, for safety's sake.::_

"What if something happens?" Caida asked, frowning. "What happens if we're attacked? We're on our own?"

"We get attacked and there's a signal that will be sent out both to CorSec Forces and my own contacts with our location," Zarah explained, glancing down to the holoprojector in her palm, apparently informing Iam as well as Caida. "We'd have backup in a matter of minutes. And as much as I admire this planet's amazing Security force, I think my people would make anyone think twice about attacking here. If word gets around that you're still alive, my contacts have been instructed to drop my name into the conversation to deter any pursuit. If that doesn't work, we'll have a miniature army here, between my people and yours."

_::And you'll get arrested for arms dealing,:: _Iam supplied as well, but Zarah just shrugged, seeming unconcerned with the possibility.

"Comes with the territory. The Empire doesn't like its people to be able to defend themselves. They'd rather the galaxy relied on them for safety, but some people disagree," Zarah shrugged again, offering Caida a quick grin. "I just fill in the gaps. Besides, CorSec usually lets me off with a slap to the wrist. I'm their best dealer in the underworld." Seeing Caida's wince, Zarah offered her a sympathetic look. "At least I'm honest," she said. "I sell at my own discretion, and I make sure my weapons don't end up in the hands of people like Black Sun. There are worse arms dealers out there, trust me."

"Let's just hope it doesn't even come to that," Caida muttered, wincing and rubbing her shoulder.

_::I'll let you know as soon as we get word on Shaen. Kadira thinks this may be more than what we originally thought. Some things aren't lining up,::_ Iam said. _::Until then, keep your head down. Right now, it looks like Shaen thinks you're out of the picture. I'd rather keep it that way. You've become our wild card, Caida, though hopefully we never have to use you.::_

"If you need me, let me know," Caida said, glancing around the massive cavern once more. She didn't relish the idea of being so completely out of touch with the outside world. "I'd like to take out the man who targeted first my partner, then me."

_::I'll do that,:: _Iam responded wryly. _::Glad to see you're safe. Try to stay that way.::  
_  
Caida nodded in response, watching as the hologram flickered, then died as Iam cut the call. She was left staring at the Mirialan woman, Zarah, who shrugged and pocketed the device.

"Welcome to paradise," the arms dealer said wryly.

* * *

Ran sighed and rubbed his eyes, wincing as they stung from staring at his datapad screen for too long. He had been at this for longer than he wanted to guess. The bastion's other inhabitants had headed to bed hours ago, and none of them were known for going to sleep at early hours. If he'd had to guess, he would have said it was probably close to dawn now. Ran knew he ought to go to sleep, get some rest and start fresh, but he was so close.

He had found a trail. A faint one, but still there, and that trail was slowly leading him to Alaida Dain. If they could find her, they would be one step closer to tracking down Kadira's attacker and bringing him to justice. He had to admit, he didn't relish the idea of seeking out the woman who had been hunting him for years. In fact he would rather avoid it if possible, but she was their only tie to the man called Shaen Mog. The man who had shot Kadira and killed a civilian in broad daylight. Even in the lower level of Coruscant, that took guts and planning. Ran had to shut down the tactical side of his personality that almost admired the man's work, though to be truthful that didn't take much. As soon as he remembered the incidents that had taken place, he was back to fighting back a dangerous rage, something he knew he couldn't afford to feel.

He had gotten distracted from his mission again. Maybe he had been since Kadira was kidnapped by Jett, he didn't know. What he did know was that he was treading dangerous ground. He needed to be able to walk away without hesitation. If Kadira and her _vod_ were compromised, he needed to be capable of cutting them loose and not looking back. Everything he believed in depended on that. Caring was a weakness that could be used against him. Hadn't he already learned that? People could be used as weapons against anyone who cared about them. Even worse, people he cared about could be destroyed in an effort to stop him, to keep him from continuing on his mission, from pushing ever closer to his goal.

Unconsciously, Ran touched the cord that hung around his neck, tucked beneath his shirt. It held everything he had learned over the years. All the data Kadira had unconsciously brought him with some of the rescues she had made, all of the intel he had scrounged and scraped to find over the years. It was everything, and he never left it behind. Ever.

With another sigh, Ran rose to his feet and began to pace, his eyes scanning the datapad once more. He was only doing this in order to find Shaen. He was a danger to the whole mission, to everything Ran had worked for. Especially if Kadira was right and Shaen was not targeting her. Ran had made plenty of enemies of his own, and too many of them assumed that going after his so-called 'team' was the best way to lash out at him. It wouldn't surprise him if Shaen was one of them.

Maybe if he just kept digging, he would find a solid lead that he could point Iam towards, that way the man could take care of the face-to-face details. Ran had kept his face hidden from Alaida Dain and her cronies for far too long to risk exposing himself now. Not when he was still a wildcard to her.

* * *

"Jett, quit taking apart my Scout blaster," Kadira grumbled, not looking up from the blaster rifle she was cradling in two hands as she worked on adapting its sights.

"I'm just trying to figure out how it works," Jett replied calmly, not setting the pistol down.

Kadira glanced over and winced. She could hardly recognize her own blaster thanks to the fact it had been almost entirely taken apart. The Clone had been dying to get a close look at the pressure sensitive grip that acted as a trigger, something that had fascinated him from the first time he saw the blaster.

"Really, Jett?" Kadira asked, lifting one eyebrow. The clone didn't look up. "Did you honestly have to take apart the whole thing? I could have just grabbed you the spare pad for you to examine if you're that interested in how it works."

"But then I wouldn't get to see it connected to the rest of the pistol," Jett responded cheerfully, eliciting a groan from Kadira as she turned back to the rifle she was working with.

"Just make sure it still fires when you put it back together," she sighed. "Though if you break those sights, I swear I will hit you so hard…"

"Why?" Jett asked, finally looking up, eyebrows raised curiously. "Are they expensive?"

"Expensive, illegal, and _incredibly_ hard to find," Kadira confirmed. "I had to search for two years on the black market just to find that set. So if you break them, you owe me a whole new set."

"Why are they illegal?" Jett asked. It was probably the fifth time he had asked that of various weapons or pieces throughout the day. He was good with weapons, but his stint encased in carbonite had left him with more than a small gap in his knowledge of how some things worked or why they had been outlawed by the Empire.

"Because they're too accurate for a pistol, according to the Empire," Kadira said with a snort, tightening a screw on the base of the rifle. "They say it would encourage criminals to buy better weapons, and become more able to fight the Empire."

"Right, so they're outlawed. That way law-abiding people can't use them to defend themselves," there was a bite in Jett's voice and Kadira laughed softly.

"Welcome to the logic of the Empire," Kadira agreed. "In my opinion, they outlaw most of the best weapons not because they're afraid for peoples' safety, but because they're afraid of having armed citizens. It's a lot easier to put down a revolt if the people carry a holdout blaster rather than a deecee," she said, referring to her own DC-17m rifle.

"What about other planets? Even back in the Republic, some heavy arms were outlawed," Jett pointed out.

Kadira yelped suddenly, jerking her thumb back and sucking on the tip as she glared at the rifle. She noticed Jett's amused look, but he wisely chose to say nothing.

"But the Republic was at least genuinely concerned, if misguided," Kadira said, shaking her hand gingerly before starting back to work. "The problem with the Empire is that they're afraid of being overthrown. So, in order to make them even more angry at me and up the price on my head, I buy all the heavy ordnance I can, _because_ I can. And you have to admit, the big guns are much more fun."

Jett grinned. "It I ironic how when a Bounty Hunter takes a contract for the Empire, they're usually willing to ignore the fact that the Hunter is carrying almost all illegal gear," he agreed wryly.

"And that, _ner_ _vod_, is why I don't trust the Empire in the slightest," Kadira said.

Both glanced up as Ran ducked into the room, looking like he hadn't slept in days. Which was probably true, come to think of it. The man leaned against the wall, offering a tired but triumphant smile.

"I found something," he said. "I thought I'd tell you first, before I take it to Iam and Laniff."

"What did you find?" Kadira asked, setting the rifle aside and giving him her full attention. "Shaen?"

"No. No, but I know where Alaida is," Ran explained. "If we can get to her and get her to talk-"

"Then we just might be able to track down Shaen," Jett finished, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Best go tell Iam and Laniff. They'll want to start making plans as soon as they can."

Ran nodded, turning to leave before hesitating. "You should know… She's at a military base. It won't be easy to get in."

"We've done harder things," Kadira pointed out wryly. She saw Ran's eyebrow lift.

"We?"

"You're going to need a pilot and a fast ship," Kadira said, matching his look with one of her own. "And Laniff isn't familiar enough with the _Revenge_ to fill either of those roles. If you think I'm sitting out of this one, you've got another thing coming," she said quickly, cutting off any protest he might make. She gritted her teeth, trying not to rub her still-painful shoulder. It would just weaken her argument. "I'm the one who got shot. I can't storm a base, but I _can_ pilot my own ship. Better than any of you can."

Both men stared at her for a moment before Jett let out an explosive sigh. "I'm delegating this argument to Iam and Laniff," he said finally.

"I think I'm going to agree with you on that one," Ran said dryly, his eyes sparkling with humor.

Kadira just narrowed her eyes at both of them. She was determined to be a part of this, injury or not. She was done sitting on the sidelines while her _vod_ walked straight into the line of fire. She was going to join them, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter came alone pretty fast, so I'm hoping to stay on a roll and update often. As always, I love to hear from my readers, whether in PM or reviews :D_


	11. Chapter 11

"Jett, hand me a hydrospanner," Kadira instructed from beneath the _Vanguard_'s sleek belly. She was once again ignoring instructions to rest and recuperate, instead choosing to do some minor work and repairs on her ship. Apparently she wasn't all that trusting of Laniff's piloting skills, since he had been the last one to fly the ship. Jett had given up arguing with her two hours ago, settling instead for doing any heavy lifting or tiring work. It had been his one condition, and so far Kadira was holding to it.

Jett handed her the tool without comment, his own gaze exploring the ship as he actually took the time to admire it. He had flown a multitude of different ships, ranging from small fighters to larger freighters, but the _Vanguard_ was in a class of its own. He had never seen another ship like it, the clean lines and sleek exterior were distinctive and eye catching, with a security system that kept most beings from venturing too close.

"Where in the galaxy did you get the schematics for this ship?" Jett asked, running one hand along the side. He had seen Kadira deactivate the ship's security protocols, or else he never would have ventured to do even that much.

There was a clang from beneath the ship, followed by a muttered curse before Kadira answered.

"I got them from a collector on some backwater world. I ran a smuggling run for him, and it was his form of payment. He thought he was getting the better end of the deal. He was under the impression that the plans were too old and obsolete to be of any use, so when I asked for them instead of credits he was thrilled," she added, her tone almost sounding smug, though it was hard to tell since her already rasping voice was muffled from being underneath the ship. "_Shab_, I hate Coruscant. You should see what the smog and gunk in the air did to these filters," Kadira added, sounding distracted for just a moment before she returned to explaining the _Vanguard_'s origins. "I had to run a few more jobs in an old clunker before I finally got up the creds to have it built."

"Who built it for you?" Jett asked, lifting one eyebrow curiously. He had never heard this much of the ship's story before. All Iam ever said was that it was custom built, and had cost a boatload of credits.

"MandalMotors," Kadira answered simply. "I handed over the specs for a few of the weapon systems in return for a lower fee, else I never would have been able to afford it," Kadira said, sliding out from beneath the ship and smiling wryly. "But she's worth every credit."

"You're pretty attached, aren't you?" Jett asked. He had intended the question to be humorous, but Kadira's serious eyes belied the half smile she gave him.

"I got the _Vanguard_ at a time I needed her the most," Kadira said finally, standing up and running one hand along the ship's side. "I had just left the Empire to come to Mandalore, and Iam was being a _shabuir_ about everything at the time. He had a lot of bitterness then, and Laniff was off on a hunt for the man who killed his _buir_. Anytime I _did_ hear from him, he wasn't in the best of moods. So it was just me and my project, and it was something I sorely needed." She offered Jett a smile that held sadness instead of its usual humor. "I'd lost both my Corellian family and my belief in the Empire. I needed something to lose myself in, and the _Vanguard_ provided just the thing. Not sure what would have happened otherwise."

"You grew up in a large family?" Jett asked quietly, thinking of his own _vod_, the brothers he had lost in the Clone Wars. It had been years for the rest of the galaxy, but to him it still felt incredibly recent. One of the downsides of being encased in carbonite for that long, he supposed.

Kadira was shaking her head. "Not really. I was an only child, but my father worked for the Corellian military so it was like a very large extended family."

Her 'father'. He noticed the word, noticed she didn't use the word '_buir'_, or even 'dad'. Just father.

"He was rarely home, so I didn't see him much. He was a good man, just… distracted. My mother was a fighter pilot," she grinned at some memory the words had brought to mind. "She's the one who taught me to fly, made me love ships and everything about them."

"What was her name?" Jett asked, drinking in the information. He'd never had the same kind of family she was describing, and he was curious. Not that he would have traded his brothers for anything, but…

"Ishea Corvani," Kadira replied. "She was one of the best, and everyone knew it… She was killed in a speeder accident the day after I woke up from my accident. She was on her way to see me in the med center," Kadira said, the humor leaving her tone as she touched the scar on the side of her face. "That's part of why I left Corellia. SpecOps was still there, like a larger family, but… Nothing was the same. I couldn't stay any more, not with all the memories there, so I left."

"And ran into Laniff," Jett offered with a smile, trying to lift her mood.

It seemed to work, because Kadira laughed. "Remind me to tell you that story some other time," she said. "But for now, grab me one of those clean filters. I'd rather the inside of my ship not smell like Coruscanti air longer than it absolutely has to."

* * *

Hours later, Kadira sat at the table with her feet propped up on a nearby chair, her head tilted as she listed to Iam and Laniff. She had run out of minor repairs to do on the _Vanguard_, and Jett had finally insisted she come inside and actually rest. She'd compromised and sat down in the middle of Laniff and Iam's planning session for finding Alaida in the military base. They needed to somehow convince the woman to tell them what she knew about Shaen. They were all staring at a holoprojection of the base, made as accurately as Ran was able to with the limited information he had.

"We could storm it."

"You storm the base, Laniff, and she'll be out of there before we even break through the lines. She's a planner, she'll have something set up to get her out before we can get to her… If we had more time, we could scope the layout, find wherever she might try to get out, but…" Kadira shrugged then winced, regretting the motion almost immediately. "Thing is, we're going to have to go subtle."

Laniff groaned, leaning his head back against his chair. "I had a feeling you were going to say that," he grumbled. "I hate being subtle. It's no fun."

Kadira saw Jett's smile, but she and Iam were quiet, noticing the strain in his voice. Kadira saw Laniff and Iam exchange a subtle glance filled with understanding, and she frowned, wondering what was going on. Something was wrong, she could tell that much.

"…Ever consider sending someone in?" Jett suggested finally. "I can pass as a stormtrooper, see if I can get to Alaida."

Ran was already shaking his head. "They're not using clones, and they have a fairly accurate count of the troopers at the base. It's very high security for such a small place, my guess is it's run by Imperial Intelligence. They'd figure out you weren't one of their own and the game would be up. "

"What about air ducts? They're not going to be living without fresh air in that place, no matter how locked down they are," Laniff suggested hopefully, indicating on the holoprojection where air ducts were visible. It was one of the few details Ran had acquired about the building. "Kadira's small enough to fit in one of those ducts, she could slice in once she's inside and open the doors for us. She'd squeeze out of the ducts and be out before all the fighting went down.

"I appreciate the compliment, _vod_, but I'm not tiny enough to fit through those ducts," Kadira said, shaking her head. "I couldn't even get my shoulders through. And I really, _really_ don't want Alaida Dain to capture me because I got stuck in an air vent. That would just be embarrassing."

"We need something she won't see coming," Iam said finally. "Something straightforward and simple, and so brazen she'll never guess what we have up our sleeve. It can't look like anything you or Ran have ever done before, _Kad'ika_. If it is even similar, she'll know and she'll run and we'll lose precious time looking for her instead of Shaen Mog."

Kadira leaned forward, steepling her fingers in front of her and tapping her chin. She saw Laniff glance her way but ignored him, an idea forming.

"What if we don't just sneak Jett in? We sneak someone else in too, act like Jett has a find that Alaida needs to see to herself," Kadira said finally. "Have the _Vanguard_ standing by, and once two people get in, we do a flyby, scare the _osik_ out of them just enough that they lock down the base. If two people can be alone with Alaida before then…"

"We'll be sealed in a room with her. No one in, no one out," Laniff finished the thought, a slow grin spreading over his face.

"And whoever is flying the _Vanguard_ can keep up the assault as long as it's needed," Kadira added. "Keep it locked down."

"We don't have the leverage," Ran said, shaking his head. "The only people she wants badly enough to risk letting an armed group into the base are you and I, Kadira. And if one of us comes in, she'll be on her guard. No unknown troopers past the gates, no way to sneak in weapons. This would be a two person job, it would have to be, and you aren't in any shape to take her on in hand-to-hand combat."

"Not to mention my hand-to-hand is _osik_," Kadira admitted wryly, waving her hand in dismissal of the idea. "Ok, but we need something, some way to get in-"

Ran's comm beeped, interrupting her. Ran stepped away to take the call, then suddenly went rigid.

"What?" he asked into the comm, before turning back to the group. Without a word, he strode forward and pressed a button on the side of his comm, sliding it to the center of the table and stepping back. "Say it again, Jonika," he said, his eyes fixed on the comm device.

::_I have a contact who swears the base you're trying to get to is about to come under heavy attack. I don't know how he knows it, but he does… If you're going to talk to her, I suggest you get off your backsides and get there __**now**__._:: Jonika's voice came through the comm, sounding strained._ ::I doubt they'll stick around once they start getting fired on.::_

"Well, there's always the idea of playing rescue squad," Laniff said cheerfully_. "Kad'ika_, how fast can you get us there?"

Kadira worried her lower lip with her teeth for a moment, calculating in her head. "…A couple hours, if we leave now. But we'll have to take a new hyperspace route, one that's been only theorized. No one's been brave enough to try it yet."

_::Are you seriously thinking about taking the path I think you are?::_ Jonika asked, somehow managing to sound both concerned and excited. _::You, my heavily armored friend, are insane. Genius, but insane. You have no idea how many people have opted out of flying that route, no matter how big the bonus they were offered.::_

"It's the only way to get there in time," Kadira pointed out with a small smile.

"What's wrong with this route?" Jett asked, sounding wary.

"...It passes fairly close to a black hole," Kadira admitted after a moment of silence. "But no one knows if it passes _too_ close. Theoretically it doesn't, but it's close enough and there are enough variables that even the most daredevil pilots I know avoid it. The advantage is once we have Alaida, we can haul jets back the way we came and no one will follow. At least, if we don't get torn apart just getting there."

There was a minute of absolute silence as they all looked at one another, each waiting for someone else to speak first.

"…_Shab_," Laniff spoke finally, speaking for all of them. "Well… we're gonna die anyway at some point. My vote is we risk it. If we make it, great. If not, we at least get to die famous. The first and only ones to try this route. Jonika, I'm counting on you to write us tavern songs and spread our fame if we die," he said cheerfully.

_::So long as I don't have to go with you, it's a deal,::_ Jonika answered, sounding relieved.

Iam blew out a breath and nodded. "Let's get moving then. _Kad'ika_, you'll be piloting on the condition you stay on board the _Vanguard_ once we get there. I'm not willing to risk you getting shot again. Especially since we don't know who it is that is attacking the base."

"You think it might be Shaen?" Jett asked.

"Wouldn't take much for him to figure out that Alaida could possibly direct us right to him," Iam pointed out. "He's proved he has a mind for strategy, so I'm not willing to rule it out."

Laniff glanced around before rising to his feet. "_Buir_, I have a question."

Iam turned, eyebrows raised as he waited for Laniff to continue.

"Do I get to bring the big guns?"

* * *

Kadira was sitting in the pilot's chair with her arms crossed when Jett came into the cockpit, so focused on her ship's readouts that she didn't even notice his entrance. Every so often, the _Vanguard_ would shudder and she would lean forward to inspect the readouts closely, her brow furrowed in concentration and worry. She was obviously more nervous about this flight plan than she had let on.

"I have something for you," he spoke finally, realizing she was too focused on making sure her ship wasn't about to be ripped apart by a black hole to pay any attention to anything else.

She turned, startled, before lifting one hand to her shoulder and letting out a hissing breath as she doubled over. Jett took a concerned step forward but she waved him off.

"I'm just a _di'kut_ who hasn't figured out not to move too quickly," she assured him, her voice dry. She took a moment to catch her breath before she looked back up, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

Jett smiled slightly and presented a rifle for her inspection. It was smaller than her Deecee, and as she lifted it from his hands he could tell she felt the weight difference. This one was far lighter, though it lacked the high tech attachments she normally used.

"I know you can't lift your Deecee with your shoulder in the shape it's in, and you seem to prefer rifles over pistols. Consider it repayment for the pistol Spike took when you were captured," Jett said with a shrug. He hoped she couldn't see how nervous he was as she ran her hands over the rifle, hefting it to her shoulder and back down again repeatedly to get a feel for the weight. Not once did she flinch, or drop the weapon as she had when she'd attempted to fire her Deecee back at the bastion. She had apparently forgotten the rifle had a kick when it fired, and that very fact had driven the buttplate back into her injured shoulder. Laniff had berated her soundly for trying to shoot the heavier rifle, but Kadira had replied with her own tongue lashing that had both Iam and Jett trying not to smile. She was finally starting to act like her old self again. Jett had made certain this rifle had no recoil, and wouldn't damage her shoulder if she shot it.

When Kadira finally looked up at him, she was grinning. Jett felt himself relax almost instantly, not realizing until that moment just how worried he had been. It was a difficult thing, to try to hand someone a replacement rifle. Especially when they were as attached to their old one as Kadira was to her Deecee.

"I've never seen a trigger like this," she said, flipping the rifle over to examine the lever action. Attached to part of the large loop action was a small screw that would impact the trigger whenever the lever was worked. It would keep her finger from being punctured if she was trying to load and cock the rifle quickly, as she wouldn't even need to have her finger near the trigger to fire. Much like her scout blaster, she also wouldn't run the risk of her gloved hand getting stuck in the trigger guard.

"It's been modified," Jett explained, stepping closer to point out the changes. "When you open and close the lever, the rifle will fire. The only limit on how fast you can fire is how fast you can work that lever. There's a safety, but you know not to depend on it. Also, it has a very large clip, it loads in the side here," Jett explained, turning the rifle so she could see the loading port, "And just snaps into place. After that, you're good to go. You can also take the screw out when you don't need to worry about firing rapidly, and you're back to having a normal lever action rifle."

"Why is it so much lighter?" Kadira asked, continuing to look over the rifle carefully.

"It was a prototype, never went into large scale production," Jett explained. "My squad was one of the few to get them. It's made of a lightweight material, and the fact it's a lever action cuts down on a lot of the tech that your Deecee has that makes it so much heavier. This rifle is just as accurate, if less fancy than yours."

Kadira was still grinning when she looked back to him. "Thank you, _vod_."

Jett smiled in return, glad to have given her something she seemed to enjoy so much. She turned back to the _Vanguard's_ console as Jett took a seat in the copilot's chair. Every so often, he saw her reach over and run one hand along the rifle's stock. Yes, he had definitely chosen well from among the small armory he had managed to recover of his own gear. The rifle was in good hands, and better yet Kadira had a weapon she could rely on.

* * *

_::Alright everyone, get ready. We'll be coming out of hyperspace in about two minutes, and then things are going to get bumpy. Best we can tell, the base just came under attack. Jett, Laniff, and Iam will head out and find Alaida, get her to the ship. Right now, she has the option of either coming aboard or taking her chances with the attackers. I think we all know what she'll pick,::_ Kadira's voice came over the intercom system of the _Vanguard_ and Laniff paused for a moment to listen to her instructions.

Ran and Kadira had been coming up with a plan, making use of what intel they had. They had decided to keep it straightforward and simple, relying on Alaida's knack for survival. If that failed, Laniff would stun the woman and drag her aboard the _Vanguard_ by force. They needed the information the woman had on Shaen. It was their only lead, and they weren't going to get another chance at this.

Laniff slammed his rifle's magazine into place with a _snap_, glancing over at Iam to see the man checking over his own Verpine rifle. The older man gave Laniff a thumbs-up, which Jett soon copied after checking his own weapon.

"If you need air support, let me know," Kadira said, ducking out of the cockpit and looking them over. Laniff could see how badly she wanted to join them, but the fact she didn't insist on coming was further proof of how much her injury was still paining her. "Ran will be keeping an eye on your scans and the intel your HUDs send back to the _Vanguard_. We'll try to keep you all updated and a step ahead of whatever _shabuir_ is hitting the base." She smiled at them, a look that told them just how much she wished she was going with them. "_Oya, vode_."

* * *

Shaen jerked around sharply as his ship's systems began blaring a warning signal. Another ship had just dropped out of hyperspace, and it wasn't one that belonged to the base below. He had made certain all of those were present and disabled on the first run of his one-man assault on the base. The military encampment's small size worked to his advantage from the air – it only took one ship to wreak havoc. Already, two out of the three buildings had collapsed and were in flames, and the third was dangerously close. But none of it would matter if reinforcements arrived. He wasn't outfitted for a ship-to-ship battle, his own vessel wasn't designed for it. He waited for his scanning devices to transmit data about the incoming ship, tapping his fingers impatiently against the console.

As his scans at last picked up the ship, Shaen cursed at the image that appeared on the screen in front of him. It was the _Vanguard_, no mistaking it. Kadira Sal's ship was the most distinctive he had ever seen, and that fact that his scanners registered barely any information about it other than its appearance only confirmed it.

How her team had managed to find him so fast, he had no idea. But he was going to have to hurry his assault of the base if he wanted to silence Alaida Dain before Kadira's team reached her. The Imperial Agent knew too much about him for Kadira's team to get a hold of her. If they did, he risked information coming to light that needed to stay buried. The more that her team discovered, the more likely they were to tie him to his real purpose. That was something he couldn't allow. Not when he was so close to destroying Iam Sal. He had come too far to let it end here and now.

Shaen gritted his teeth and tapped in a few commands on his console, increasing the shielding on his ship as much as he could without compromising the heavy fire he was pouring on the base below. He needed to hurry, it wouldn't take long for the _Vanguard_'s systems to pinpoint him, and then he'd be in real trouble. Though how in _haran_ they had found him so fast was a mystery in itself. They must have been working furiously to find him after Caida's death. He should have known taking out someone so close to them would have major consequences.

He cursed again. Somehow, he always seemed to underestimate Kadira's team. If there was anyone who had known his plans, any way there might be a leak, Shaen would have suspected someone was feeding the group information. But the only ones who knew about this hit were himself and Spike, and there was no possibility the other man would ever help Kadira's team out. Besides, an informant would have informed them of the bomb placed in Caida's speeder. Shaen allowed himself a small smile as he fired a missile onto the base below, remembering the ball of flame that had consumed Caida's speeder. The life of Kadira's partner would have been far more important to Iam Sal and his small clan than an Imperial who may or may not help them. No, the Sals were simply lucky. They stumbled across the right information at the right time, and it had managed to lead them here.

He would just have to make certain there was nothing left for them to find.

* * *

_A/N: So for those of you who happen to be old-time Western fans, you might recognize the idea for Kadira's new rifle from "The Rifleman" series, with Chuck Connors. It's what inspired Kadira's new lever action. If you haven't seen the series, I recommend looking it up :D  
Also, as always, thank you so much for your patience through my delay and writer's blocks. I appreciate it greatly!_


	12. Chapter 12

"_Buir_, we've come in sight of the attacking ship. We'll try to give you some semblance of cover, provided we can distract this _shabuir_," Kadira's voice was calm and in control as she spoke over the comm to Iam.

Iam, Jett, and Laniff were all on the ground by now, each of their HUD readouts displayed on one of the Vanguard's many holoprojectors. The base was already almost entirely in ruins thanks to the superior firepower of the attacking ship. Ran could see the places where defenders had tried to take up arms, only to be wiped out by the aerial assault. From the number of corpses he counted in the glimpses he got from the ground team's HUDs, the casualty rate was incredibly high. He wondered if there were even any soldiers left to defend the base. Whoever was attacking had to be incredibly familiar with the base's layout and the number of defenders present. There was no other way to account for such a massive amount of damage in such a short amount of time. Even the base's Anti-aircraft turrets were offline, leaving what was left of the compound vulnerable to continued attack.

Ran glanced away from Iam's readings to study Kadira, wondering how she was holding up with her injury. He smiled slightly as he saw her fierce concentration on the other ship, her brows furrowed as she took in the readouts the _Vanguard_ provided, allowing her to adjust her targeting systems and even the weapons systems the _Vanguard_ was equipped with. Ran found himself baffled by the adjustments she made, and he had to wonder just how many more secrets this ship had. He glanced around the cockpit briefly, curious as to the ship's functions, but not quite sure he wanted to know everything the _Vanguard_ had in store. He might never risk stepping foot onboard again if he did.

"I'm not picking up any signs of defenders on the ground, but keep your eyes peeled just in case. Running into them would simply slow you down and give this guy up here a good opportunity to wipe you out. If we're running lifesign scans, you can bet he is too," Ran advised, forcing his mind back to the present. He glanced at the readouts that showed the progress of the three men down below, his eyebrows lifting in faint surprise. They were making better time than he had expected.

_::Copy that. I'm going to separate and look at getting those AA guns online, help you out up there and give us a safe zone down here,::_ Laniff's voice came over the comm. _::I'll let you know what I find.:_

"Go ahead, Laniff. We'll keep an eye on your scans as well. Stay sharp, _vod_," Kadira answered, turned the _Vanguard_ to line it up for the best attack run on the large ship the _Vanguard's_ instruments had picked up. Kadira turned to Ran, lifting one eyebrow and giving him a daredevil grin. It was almost frightening. "Ready?" she asked.

"Might as well do something stupid today. Wouldn't want life to get boring," Ran grumbled in reply, adjusting his grip on the turret controls as Kadira laughed.

"_Oya._ Let's give this _chakaar_ something else to think about."

* * *

Shaen cursed viciously as his ship's warning systems began blaring even louder than before, informing him that the _Vanguard_ had locked on to his position and was now ready to fire. He glanced sideways, calculating how long his shields could hold up against the other ship's armaments. He winced, realizing the answer wasn't nearly as optimistic as he would like. Even though his vessel was built to withstand heavy damage, it hadn't been designed to face anything like the _Vanguard_. Intimidating enough with just its sleek lines and obvious speed, Shaen was certain there was more firepower to Kadira's ship than even he could guess. It was obviously custom built, and by a Mandalorian no less. They weren't the type to use weapons in any sort of moderation. The one thing he could count on about the _Vanguard_ was for it to be heavily armed.

He glanced down at the base again, taking in the smoking ruins of all but one building and the multiple fires that were already spreading through what was left of the compound. His ship's scanners picked up only a few life forms down below, but there was no way for him to tell if Alaida Dain was among them. He looked back to his ship's readouts and hesitated a moment, his gloved hand hovering above his ship's navicomputer. He would need a couple of minutes for the computer to plot a safe hyperspace route. If he did it now, he could escape before his ship's shields went down. But he would be unable to finish the job of wiping out the entire base. He would run the risk of Alaida Dain surviving and being able to pass on whatever intel she had on him…

He looked back to his shield readings and gritted his teeth. Then again, destroying Alaida Dain would be useless if the _Vanguard_ shot him down. Making a snap decision, Shaen turned back to his navicomputer and punched in a command, turning his ship to face the _Vanguard_. He could take a few hits before he was in serious trouble, and he intended to give Kadira Sal's team a hard time before he made his escape. He flipped a switch and listened to his ship's weapons powering up. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, pushing all thought out of his mind as he prepared for the coming conflict.

* * *

"Clear!" Jett shouted, waving his arm so Iam could easily spot the movement. Iam sprinted to Jett's position, sliding down behind the wall and bringing his rifle up to his shoulder as he swept the area behind them.

They had yet to find any sign of Alaida Dain in the ruins of the compound. Occasionally they were forced to take cover as the attacking ship strafed the ground or buildings crumpled from the massive damage they had taken in the attack. Otherwise, the base was eerily quiet. No soldiers called out for aid for wounded companions, no officers shouted orders. It was making Jett jumpy, especially with his vision as limited as it was by the dust and debris in the air. Iam seemed unimpeded by the lack of sight, no doubt relying on his advanced HUD's readouts instead. Jett glanced over and winced, starting to regret not having gotten a hold of his own more advanced HUD system or _bekar'gam _, as his own armor had taken more than a few dents while Iam's was only scratched.

"Think anybody is left?" Jett asked, checking his rifle and glancing over at Iam.

"I'm picking up lifesigns, so there's gotta be," Iam answered simply. "Laniff, where are you?"

_::Playing with the big guns, sir,::_ Laniff answered cheerfully. _::Think I've almost got 'em up and running…::_

Jett turned as he heard the distinctive sound of the Anti-aircraft turrets power up and begin firing.

_::You may now applaud my amazing work,:: _Laniff said._ ::The guns are locked onto our attacker's ship. If nothing else, it'll give him something else to shoot at. Thought you two might be getting tired of playing moving target.::_

Iam chuckled. "Good work, Laniff. Now get back here, we still need to find Dain."

_::What have you two been doing this whole time? I get the guns firing while you two sit on your _shebs_. Typical.::_

Laniff laughed when Jett responded with a few choice words in _Mando'a. _

_::See_, buir_? We'll make a Mando out of him yet.::_

Jett bit back a retort, looking to Iam instead.

"Head to the building that's still standing, Laniff. We'll meet up with you there," Iam instructed.

_::You think they'll be hiding out in there? I would've chosen somewhere less… conspicuous.::_

"My guess is that place is built like a bunker. It would have to be, to still be standing. They probably assume they'll be safe inside," Jett said wryly.

_::Right, because nothing screams 'safety' like a big standing building that might as well have a giant target painted on it. They may as well stand outside yelling 'shoot me! Shoot me!'. And these people control the galaxy?_ Shab, buir, _no wonder we Mandos never took control. We assumed you had to be intelligent,:: _Laniff replied sarcastically.

Iam chuckled dryly. "Just get to the building,_ Lan'ika. _We'll take as it comes from there."

_::Fine. Let's just hope they forgot to barricade the doors, too.::_

* * *

As they made their way to the building, Jett couldn't help but stare incrdulously as he saw the lax defenses. It was a tactician's nightmare – the doors were unbarricaded, standing wide open. They could see people huddled inside, paying no attention to the fact that anyone could walk in and take the building with almost no effort whatsoever. The whole situation was pitiful. He heard Iam mutter something about Imperial Intelligence, but decided it wasn't a good time to inquire further.

"You clear, Laniff?" Iam asked.

_::I am. Look up and behind you.::_

Jett turned, shaking his head as he saw Laniff perched up on the remaining wall of a now-shattered building, high enough to afford him a good sniper's position. The red-gold armored Mandalorian waved and Jett lifted his hand in acknowledgement.

"You just want to keep playing with your toys," he accused into his comm, turning back to the building.

_::Yep,::_ Laniff confirmed happily. _::And my small arms aim is_ osik_, too. I'm more useful up here, believe me.::_

Iam gave the signal to move forward and Jett complied, half expecting someone to jump out with a vibroblade at least. But no one made a move, few even bothered to look up at them. They looked shell-shocked, gathered around fallen troopers, some attempting to give medical aid to the soldiers who were still able to be helped. There were plenty of forms with spare cloths or curtains draped over them, a testament to those who were beyond medical aid.

"_Shab_…" Jett muttered, taking in the despair of those who did glance their way. None even tried to look the least bit intimidating, some even cowered away.

Jett noticed most of the fear was directed towards Iam. With his distinctive T-shaped visor and Mandalorian armor, it wouldn't surprise Jett if these people though Iam had been their attacker. Most people saw a Mandalorian in the middle of a violent situation and simply assumed they had been the cause. Iam didn't seem to react to their fear, apparently used to the furtive glances.

"They thought they were invincible, or at least untouchable all the way out here," Iam explained grimly. "They've had a harsh reality check."

A nearby soldier scrambled to reach his sidearm, teeth gritted against the pain even such a small movement caused. Iam knelt next to the man and gently slid the weapon out of reach, shaking his head. His rifle was still tucked to his shoulder, but was lowered.

"Don't, _verd'ika,_" he murmured to the young man. "You've fought enough for today. I'm not here to hurt anyone."

The soldier hesitated, studying Iam's visor plate as if he could see the man's expression. Slowly, the soldier let his hand drop, apparently deciding to trust the Mandalorian. Iam nodded in approval and got to his feet.

He and Jett resumed picking their way through the room, searching the faces of those present for Alaida Dain.

* * *

Shaen's ship bucked beneath him as he struggled to regain control, cursing fluidly. He had been right – the _Vanguard_ was much more highly equipped than he would ever have guessed. It was ripping his own ship to shreds. With the gun turrets from below now back in play and apparently locked onto his ship, the situation was degrading faster than he could afford.

He jerked his ship to the side to avoid a blast from the _Vanguard_, just barely dodging the blow that would have doubtless knocked out his shields for good. Still, his ship was shaking with the strain of taking on the smaller ship. Any moment now, he almost expected the whole thing to shatter under the assault.

He had tried to outmaneuver the _Vanguard_ from the start, but that had proved to be entirely impossible. Kadira's ship was not only faster, but far more agile than his own. It had ended up flying circles around him, always managing to herd him back in range of the AA guns below. The _Vanguard_ had taken minimal damage, though he could see the sparking cords on the underside of the hull where he had somehow managed to land a shot. No doubt the _Vanguard's_ shields had flickered at just the right moment. A lucky shot for him, but not nearly enough to level the playing field.

He looked up just in time to see the _Vanguard_ take a stray shot from one of the turrets below, jerking the ship to the side violently, but her shields held and the ship's pilot corrected with an ease that spoke of years of flying under pressure. If Shaen hadn't been certain of how badly Kadira had been injured back on Coruscant, he might have thought it was her flying and not just one of her team.

He glanced at his navicomputer impatiently. Surely the route would be ready in a matter of seconds… If not, he was going to have to think of one killer of a story to tell Kadira's crew when they shot him out of the sky. His ship couldn't take much more damage, and whoever was piloting the _Vanguard_ doubtless knew it.

* * *

"Kadira! Try to avoid the turret fire, would you?" Ran snapped as his shot went wide, his aim thrown off by the _Vanguard's_ violent motion.

"Look, you want to pilot? Because I can guarantee this would be a much bumpier ride without me in the pilot's chair, _vod_," Kadira retorted through gritted teeth.

She glanced down at her ship's readouts, her features strained. The systems she had activated in order to take on the much larger ship before them were usually offline for a reason. They ate the ship's reserve power faster than the _Vanguard_ could replenish it, and if Kadira wasn't careful she'd make it so she and Ran were sitting ducks.

"Come on girl, hold together for me," Kadira muttered, patting the console as she brought the ship around for another pass.

She saw Ran scowl at her, but she ignored it. She was also ignoring the pain in her shoulder that had gone from a dull and throbbing ache to sharp and stabbing. She was going to regret it later, she was sure, but at the moment she didn't have many other options.

"Alright, coming around for- _Shab_!" she cursed as the other ship suddenly disappeared. Apparently the other ship's navicomputer had finally completed calculations for the jump to hyperspace, and the pilot had taken full advantage of it. There was a moment of silence as she and Ran stared at where the other ship had been. She had no doubt Ran was cursing their luck just as she was. They had been so close…

_::Something wrong up there_?:: the voice was Iam's, and Kadira sighed as she leaned forward to begin powering down the _Vanguard's_ secondary weapons systems, her eyes focused on her ship's readings. They had cut it fairly close, this time. Next time she'd cut down the power on some of the canons, as they hadn't seemed to need as much as she'd given…

"He made the jump to hyperspace," she explained, switching off a row of options and watching as the systems they were tied to powered down one by one. "We almost had them, too."

_::We'll track them down later. For now, go ahead and land the _Vanguard_ nearby. I don't think we'll get any trouble from those left down here, but we haven't found Alaida.::_

"I'll land and start using the _Vanguard's_ scanners," Kadira agreed, turning the ship and looking for a clear place to land on the base. There weren't many options, thanks to all the rubble. "I'll let you know what we find."

Kadira switched off the comm and sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"Take the controls, Ran," she said finally, wincing and rising. "I need to find a painkiller of some sort. The scanning equipment is powered on, so just land and keep _Iam'buir _updated."

"You alright?" Ran asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Fine. Just a little sore," Kadira waved him off dismissively.

She heard Ran sigh as she left the cockpit.

"You overdid it again, Kadira," he called knowingly.

She ignored him, one hand gripping the still-healing wound in her shoulder. In truth, she felt like her arm was on fire and the damaged disk in her back was paining her as well. All she wanted to do was take a painkiller and sleep for a week. She sighed as she turned to enter the medbay, giving the bacta tank a wide berth. She wouldn't be able to rest until they had found Alaida. Even then, Kadira doubted she'd get much sleep after the woman was on board.

* * *

Iam glanced up as he heard the sound of a ship coming in for landing. It was the _Vanguard_, the silver ship bright against the dark backdrop of the trees that encroached on what used to be a military base. Now the fence was just a pile of rubble, and fires burned intermittently around the former compound. Those who had survived were still holed up in the large building near the center – nothing Iam or Jett had said was able to convince them to leave. In the end, Iam had left them with a secure commlink that he would activate once he and the others were far out of the Empire's reach. Once he did that, these people could call the Empire for help.

"Good to see the _Vanguard_ in one piece, _Kad'ika_," Iam spoke into his comm, swinging his rifle over his shoulder and adjusting the strap that crossed his chest to hold the weapon in place. He began to pick his way over the debris as he made his way towards the ship, slipping only occasionally when the rubble under his feet shifted unexpectedly.

_::Kadira's back in the medbay finding a painkiller,::_ Ran's voice answered over the comm, sounding as annoyed as usual. _::We'll need to keep an eye on her, I think she overtaxed herself.::_

_::Buir!::_ The voice was Laniff's, coming over another comm channel. Iam turned his attention to Laniff immediately, hearing the urgency in the other man's voice. _::We found her, and you may want to hurry and give Jett some backup.::_

"What's going on?" Iam asked, turning back the way he had come after checking his HUD to see where Jett was positioned. He started to jog, no longer placing his feet as carefully as he had been. A sheet of durasteel shifted under his weight but Iam kept going, ignoring the urge to stop and catch his balance.

_::As far as I can tell Jett had her cornered and she's mad… I mean like __**really**__ mad, _buir_. You may want to hurry. I think she's about to shoot him.::_

Iam cursed. "Can you neutralize her?"

_::Not from here,::_ Laniff replied tensely. _::I'm out of the game. I'm on my way down to him, but I don't think I'm going to be able to get there in time.::_

Iam cursed again and doubled his pace, knowing in the back of his mind that one wrong step could cost him Jett's life.

* * *

_A/N: Once again, major apology for the very long delay in postings. I don't even have a good excuse this time…. As always though, I'd love to hear any thoughts, comment, etc. you have on the story. Thanks for sticking with me, I greatly appreciate it!_


	13. Chapter 13

"Put down the weapon, Dain," Jett ordered, adjusting his grip on his own rifle as he stared down the sights at the woman. He could see her hand shaking ever so slightly as she kept her pistol trained on him, scowling at his request. She was nervous, good. That could work to his advantage if he played his cards right.

"You can't win this one… Besides, we're here to help you," _Kind of,_ Jett added to himself but chose not to say the words aloud.

"You just destroyed my whole _base_," Alaida snarled, adjusting her grip on the pistol so she was now holding it with two hands. "Why in the galaxy would I trust a single word out of your mouth?"

_::Tell her that wasn't us, that it was Shaen Mog. We may not know it for sure, but I'm willing to bet on it,::_ Iam's tense voice came over the comm and Jett felt himself relax. They were here, looking out for him. He wasn't in this by himself.

"We didn't bomb your base, Dain. We tried to stop it. Your attacker is a man called Shaen Mog… Heard of him?" He took a cautious step forward, wary of the debris scattered around them. The last thing he needed now was to fall.

Alaida's eyes narrowed, suspicion clear on her face. "…I think you know I have."

"Then you'll believe me when I say he came after you to keep us from tracking him down. I'm guessing you know he's capable of it."

The pistol wobbled as Alaida hesitated, listening to what he had to say. He took a step and she bit her lip, glancing around as if nervous that he might have backup.

"Why bother coming to stop it?" she asked finally, the pistol steadying once more as she turned her attention back to him. "It's not like you lot would lose much sleep over my death."

_::Tell her she owes me for damages to my ship,::_ it was Kadira's voice this time, her calm tone reassuring.

"Kadira says you owe her credits for the damage you did to her ship," Jett said, stopping his movements towards her when he found a small spot clear of debris. He wanted to be on firm footing in case this went downhill. "She's not the kind to let that go."

* * *

Kadira leaned back in the pilot's chair, her eyes closed as she listened to the conversation coming over the comm. She could feel the tension in her shoulders as Jett continued to try to convince Alaida they were on her side.

"What happens if she shoots?" Ran murmured, his question for her ears alone. "Can Jett's armor take it?"

"It's not _beskar_," Kadira replied tensely. "It all depends on how high power that pistol is, and I'm willing to bet Alaida doesn't carry a simple holdout blaster. She shoots and we've got bad news."

_::_Buir_, I'm in line of sight with Alaida. I have the solution,::_ Laniff's voice crackled over the comm and Kadira relaxed ever so slightly at the words.

_::Copy that, Laniff. I'm moving in sight now. Use your judgment, and I'll call it if I see something,::_ Iam replied. _::Jett we have you covered, son. Keep doing what you're doing.::_

"Solution?" Ran asked as Kadira flipped the switch attached to their comm, allowing them to hear but making it so the others wouldn't pick up on whatever chatter went on inside the _Vanguard_.

"Military jargon," Kadira replied. "It means he's in line to take a kill shot if he needs to."

"Kill shot? We came all the way out here to get Dain, not to shoot her," Ran protested.

"She's got a gun on Jett, Ran!" Kadira replied, looking at him in disbelief. "She shoots him and he's dead."

"Oh please. Jett knew the risks coming onto this project. We can't just-"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, Ran," Kadira snapped, cutting him off. "If it comes down to Dain's life or Jett's, I'm choosing Jett's. I am not letting Alaida gun down one of my team. No intel she might have is valuable enough for me to start sacrificing people, got that?"

Ran was silent and Kadira leaned forward in her seat, her gray eyes fixed on his. "You have a problem with that, Ran, and I can drop you off at the nearest spaceport," her voice was dangerously calm. "You can find another pilot and go gallivanting off on your smuggling missions with them. You can drop off the _shabla_ map for all I care. But I will do _everything_ I need to in order to keep my team alive. Do you understand me?"

"…When did it become your team, Kadira?" Ran asked finally, his voice holding a sharp edge as he met her gaze, for once on even ground in a staring match now that she was without her armor. "Last I checked, _I_ was the one calling the shots."

"The minute you decided your mission, whatever the _haran_ it is, was more important than the people here. _That's_ when it became my team. You stopped being the leader, and simply became the one bankrolling this operation… If you don't like the way I'm running this, then you can leave and take your credits with you. But I do not sacrifice my team like they're just pawns in a game of dejarik."

Ran held her gaze a few moments more, scowling, before rising and stalking out of the room. Kadira watched him go, letting out an explosive breath once she was alone.

_::...You alright, _Kad'ika_?::_ the voice was Iam's, and Kadira was suddenly grateful for the link that had allowed her _buir_ to listen in on the conversation. Neither Laniff nor Jett were able to do so, which meant she hadn't distracted them from the life-or-death situation they were facing.

"Fine," she replied with a sigh. "Mad as _haran_, but fine. Get Jett out of there, _buir_. Preferably soon enough that you get back before I strangle Ran. Or shoot him."

* * *

_::Buir, looks like Jett has managed to talk Dain down,:: _Laniff's voice came over the comm just as Iam came in sight of the clone, confirming the sight before him.

Alaida was handing her pistol over to Jett, looking wary, but apparently willing to work with them for the time being. Jett took the weapon from her before motioning for her to walk in front of him, swinging his rifle over his shoulder in order to grab his pistol. He kept the blaster pointed at Alaida's back as they walked, clearly not trusting her to keep her word. Iam nodded in approval, knowing the clone would pick up the motion even from afar.

"So I see," Iam responded to Laniff, stopping and waiting, his rifle lowered from his shoulder but still in a position that he could fire quickly if need be. He wasn't willing to trust Dain any more than they absolutely had to. "Jett, how are things looking?"

_::She's angry, but willing to work with us for now. She seems to have realized that we're her best bet for finding Mog.::_

"That's all I ask for. Good job, _Jet'ika_. You handled that well. We'll keep a close eye on her once we have her on board," Iam turned back to face the direction of the _Vanguard_, one hand against the side of his helmet as he activated his comm. "_Kad'ika_? We have Dain, we'll bring her aboard. Keep Ran in a place she can't see him, I'd rather we not have that problem on our hands on top of everything else."

_::He's off pouting anyways,::_ Kadira responded, her cheerful tone sounding only slightly forced. _ ::I'll make sure he stays out of sight for the time being though. Besides, I've wanted to lock him upstairs for a while now anyway, just for the sake of peace and quiet. No better time than the present, as they say. ::_

Iam heard a click as Kadira shut off her comm, followed by Laniff's voice over his private comm channel.

_::_Buir_? Something going on between _Kad'ika_ and Mr. 'I'm so cold I make Hoth look warm' in there?:: _Laniff asked.

"Ran was pushing to avoid a kill shot," Iam replied shortly. "Even if it cost us Jett."

_::Ah. Well in that case, let's get back to the ship so I can explain to Ran why we don't leave team members to be shot by a mad woman,::_ Laniff's voice was far too cheerful, and Iam had to chuckle.

"Play nice. We do still need Ran as well," he reminded the other man as Jett and Alaida fell in step beside Iam, neither of them aware of the private conversation.

_::I promise not to hurt his feelings,_ buir_,::_ Laniff responded dryly.

* * *

Kadira propped her booted feet up on the table, eyeing Alaida warily. Kadira shifted ever so slightly, wishing she was wearing _beskar'gam _instead of the leather jacket she had adopted. She liked the anonymity the armor gave her, especially as Alaida's eyes fixed on Kadira's face with an intensity that said she was memorizing the smuggler's features. True, they had been face-to-face before, but Alaida hadn't seen Kadira as nearly such a threat back then. Now she apparently knew better.

"Where are we going?" Alaida broke the silence suddenly, and Kadira answered with an arched eyebrow.

"You tell me. Mog was your pet kath hound, not mine."

"He attacked my base," Alaida snapped in response. "I'd think even your crew would guess that means he's not working for me anymore."

Kadira sighed and slid her boots off the table to lean forward, looking the woman in the eyes and waiting patiently until Alaida fell silent. When Kadira spoke, her words were calm.

"First off, my crew is the only reason you're alive, so I suggest you be careful who you insult. It would be easy for us to hand you over to an underworld contact. You wouldn't believe how many people are out there who would love to get their hands on an Imperial Agent-"

"You wouldn't," Alaida interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. Her slight smile held just enough cockiness to make Kadira willing to throw caution to the wind. "You need me, Sal."

Kadira laughed, watching as Alaida's expression flickered between utter confidence and sudden doubt. Laughter was clearly not the reaction the other woman had expected.

"No, Dain," Kadira said, smiling and shaking her head. The steely expression in her gray eyes belied the humor in her voice as she fixed her gaze on the other woman. "I don't 'need' you. You are simply a _faster_ solution to a problem I want to solve, not the only one."

She waited a moment to see if Alaida would protest. When she stayed silent, Kadira continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, "Second, Mog obviously thinks you know something, else he wouldn't have tried to kill you before we reached you. There's obviously something specific he thinks you might be able to tell us…  
Third, I need to give you a warning. No matter how valuable you think you are, no matter what you might or might not give me to point this team towards Shaen Mog, my crew comes first. Mog will show up again, even if we lose him this time. So don't bank on me choosing your intel over any one of my crew's lives or safety. It is a bet you _will_ lose. The moment it comes down to you or my crew, I will shove you in an escape pod and send you to whatever Force-forsaken planet happens to be the closest. And if I'm lucky, it will be a desolate and uninhabited wasteland where you will be stranded for the rest of your life. You would never touch a single innocent again... If I'm not so lucky, then I will make sure you're so busy dodging bounty hunters, assassins, and every crime lord you have ever crossed that you become exactly like the refugees you hunt down for a living. Is that _perfectly_ clear, or do you have any questions?"

Kadira's voice had remained at the same pitch and tone throughout the entire speech and she saw Alaida blink, suddenly looking more nervous than if Kadira had shouted. Kadira watched patiently, knowing without a doubt that she had found Alaida's greatest fear - Exposure. A few simple words in the right ears, and even the Empire wouldn't be able to protect their agent from those who would hunt her down. Alaida would become a fugitive, and she would eventually run out of places to run. Kadira saw Alaida lick her lips nervously before seeming to wrestle her mask of composure over her features once more.

"You've gotten more ruthless, Sal," Alaida said finally, and Kadira was impressed at the way her voice trembled only slightly.

Kadira offered a sharp smile to match Alaida's own, her gray eyes dancing slightly with humor. "No, I'm a Mando. We protect our own, no matter what... Perhaps you should pay more attention, Dain. You may have figured that out sooner if you weren't too busy chasing me across the galaxy and back without stopping to think what it might push me to do."

Alaida studied Kadira's face carefully and Kadira forced herself to meet the other woman's gaze calmly. Finally, Alaida nodded.

"Fine. I'll tell you everything I know about Mog."

* * *

Jett looked up as Kadira walked into the cockpit, the door sliding shut behind her. She let out an explosive sigh and plopped down in the pilot's chair, closing her eyes and running one hand through her hair tiredly. She made a face when her fingers found a tangle and he smiled, looking back to the ship's readouts.

They were in hyperspace, but he was using the time to familiarize himself with the _Vanguard_ as much as possible. Mostly for safety's sake, he assured himself. But there was a tiny voice in the back of his mind that insisted it was for another reason, a more selfish one than the wellbeing of the crew.  
This was Kadira's ship. She had spent countless hours designing, building, and flying it. Every detail was there because she had put it there. Everything was coded to her preferences and hers alone. From the elegant design of the ship to the deadly armaments tucked away aboard the _Vanguard, _every piece told him something about her, about her life and the way she thought and reacted. It showed him what made her feel safe and where she felt the most vulnerable. It was as if the ship had been built for the sole purpose of showing the galaxy who this woman was, if only they were paying close enough attention to-

"That seemed to go well," Jett said abruptly, shoving the thoughts of out his mind. He was simply trying to make sure he knew how to fly the hunk of metal in case of an emergency. That was it. "What was your plan if she called your bluff?"

Kadira cracked one eye open to look at him, lifting her eyebrow in an all-too-familiar expression as she let her hand drop back to her side. Jett noticed the tangle had been worked out of her hair.

"What makes you think I was bluffing?"

He hesitated at the answer.

"You're the one who avoids killing," Jett pointed out finally.

Kadira sighed and pushed herself up so she wasn't slouching in her chair. She kicked her boots off and tucked her feet up underneath her, looking out at the swirl of hyperspace as if searching for her answer.

"I kill when I have to," she said finally, all humor gone from her voice. "I try to give someone a second chance, to… give them the opportunity to change their mind in the future, is the easiest way to put it… But sometimes you have to pull the trigger. And if Alaida puts this crew in danger, I will do that without hesitating. I won't enjoy it, but I will do it. It wasn't a bluff. I was completely serious."

"You'd expose her to everyone who wants her dead?" Jett asked, no malice in his voice, only curiosity.

"Yes. I'm not concocting anything that makes them want her dead – she did that with her own actions. And believe me when I say they're already after her. But I'm not going to sacrifice any member of my crew for the woman who has been hunting us and trying to kill us. Especially when she will just keep doing what she's doing…" she looked up at Jett, and he saw a level of seriousness in her gaze that he had never seen before. "My problem isn't with killing, Jett. It's the fact that it's so easy to go from killing in order to protect those I care about, to playing judge, jury, and executioner. I don't ever want to decide someone deserves to die, especially if I have the opportunity to show mercy. But that doesn't mean I will allow myself or the people I care about to be killed."

"…Sounds very complicated," Jett said finally, his mind spinning from the explanation. She smiled slightly in response, but the expression was grim.

"The minute it becomes easy is when I know I'm probably not on the right path anymore. Doing the wrong thing is easy. It's the right thing that requires a struggle and a fight. Just look at the Empire. So many people sit back and watch the atrocities that are committed because it's easy to stay quiet. It takes courage to stand up and do the right thing."

"Like you stood up?"

But Kadira was shaking her head, her expression grim. "Like I should have. Much, much sooner."

Jett opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short when the comm crackled to life.

_::Kadira?::_ the voice was Ran's, and there was a seriousness in it that made Jett fall silent. _::Jonika and I started looking using all the intel we have, plus what Dain gave us… You're going to want to see this yourself... Bring Iam.::_

* * *

Laniff leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, studying the map Kadira had brought up in the common room of the _Vanguard_. The map was massive, spreading across the entire room and showing the known galaxy from edge to edge. A few routes were marked between planets, but Laniff quickly established they were nothing more than common routes known to most Spacers. Kadira was being careful not to give Alaida any more information than the woman already had. Laniff grinned inside his helmet when he saw Jett duck underneath Hutta and Nar Shadaa as if the floating planets were more than just a holoprojection.

"Shut up, Laniff," Jett warned, pointing one finger at the red-gold armored Mandalorian accusingly.

"I didn't say anything," Laniff replied innocently.

"Your body language was enough," Jett retorted, earning a chuckle from Laniff as he inclined his head in acknowledgement of the point. Clones had a way of reading a person's intent from body language alone. Jett was even more skilled than most, it seemed.

"Are they always like this?" Alaida asked, her tone bored.

Jett didn't give anyone time to respond. He turned and crossed over to her in three steps, lifted the woman out of the chair, and hauled her out of the room. Laniff craned his neck to see Jett dump Alaida unceremoniously into the hallway before walking back into the room and palming the door shut behind him. Laniff nodded and clapped approvingly, ignoring the muffled shouts from the hallway.

"You've no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Jett said with a sigh.

"You've learned well, young one," Laniff said with mock gravity, earning a snort from Jett.

"I'm older than you, _di'kut_."

Kadira ignored the entire event, instead pulling up a second and third image that she then moved to hover in the center of the room. She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, rocking her weight back on her heels as she studied them.

One was a surprisingly sharp image of Shaen Mog that Ran had managed to pull from Kadira's HUD system after Coruscant. Laniff could pick out at least two pistols, a sheathed vibroblade, and a wrist-mounted rocket launcher with just a glance at the image. He had no doubt Mog had plenty of other weapons that weren't nearly as obvious.

Laniff turned his attention to the second image, a man he didn't recognize. He looked like a soldier, face weathered with a scar across his chin. He seemed to be in his forties, with sharp blue eyes and buzz cut hair that was impossible to tell the color of. Laniff could tell even from the headshot that the man was in good shape, his neck muscles sharp and toned even beneath his clothing.

"…Not to sound ridiculous, but who is _that_?" Laniff asked finally, pointing to the image with his head tilted to the side curiously. Something about the man seemed vaguely familiar, but his HUD was pulling up no matches.

Kadira blew out a breath and glanced to Iam, who hesitated a moment before nodding.

"That," Kadira said, moving forward and leaning against the table, "is our missing puzzle piece... His name is Draco Moore. He's a Mando, but he won't show up in your systems, Laniff. All records of him were wiped a few years ago. He's an old-timer, his family was wiped out by Death Watch back in the beginnings of the Clone Wars and he never really made any other connections. Even after Death Watch disappeared, he was convinced they still existed and was determined to hunt them down..." she paused to let the information sink in before continuing. "Most of us Mandos never really saw his face. He was a loner, lived out in the mountains, didn't really venture into Keldabe very often, so he wasn't easily recognizable even to his fellow _vod_... See where this is going?"

"He decided to infiltrate Death Watch," Jett offered, and Kadira nodded.

"It was the perfect scenario - no one would wonder what happened to Draco, and no one would recognize him in Death Watch. It took some time to convince _Mand'alor_ Shysa, but he eventually agreed to it. In order to protect Draco, what little of his identity that was recorded was erased from every database with the help of some very accomplished slicers."

The glance Kadira sent Laniff's way confirmed his suspicion that the slicers she was talking about all had the last name of Skirata. He nodded, confirming that he knew what she was driving at - they were not to be mentioned in front of Dain. The hunt for the escaped clones and their adopted Mandalorian father Kal SKirata was far from being over with and forgotten. The last thing they needed was to bring the Imps down on Skirata's clan.

"After that, Moore was smuggled off of Mandalore to make a new life and be recruited into Death Watch. He replaced another infiltrator who had been killed years earlier. The man who was killed was convinced he had made a breakthrough, but was murdered before he could pass along whatever intel he had found… Moore decided to take up where that man left off."

"If this is all so secret, how do you know about it?" Jett asked, waving one gloved hand at the image to illustrate his point. "And how does it work in to the whole situation with Mog?"

Again, Kadira glanced at Iam. The older man gave another nod of permission.

"I know about it because _te Mand'alor_ asked me to smuggle him out. I was fairly new to Mandalore, so I didn't have any ties to Moore that might tip anyone off if they came to look later… It ties into Mog because Mog has been looking into him for some time, and an alert just went out on Moore. It was a private bounty, but Jonika managed to snag it and get the intel for me when I had her start looking for anything related to Moore."

Kadira reached to her wrist to punch in a code, before seeming to realize she wasn't wearing her armor. She moved to press a button on the base of the holoprojector, bringing up string of text that was the bounty listing for Moore.

"Oh _shab_…" Jett murmured, speaking for everyone as they read the description. Everything was there. Moore's name, age, military history, and place of birth, along with any known aliases. Also listed was the reason for the bounty, which was what had earned the curse.

Kadira nodded, crossing her arms over her chest once more. "Death Watch has figured out that Moore infiltrated their ranks, no doubt thanks to Mog. We have evidence he's been on Moore's tail for some time, but wasn't sure who it was until now. Also, it looks like Moore is still unaware of this. He'll be blindsided if we don't get to him before all _haran_ breaks loose…"

"Shaen is going to target Moore himself, he won't let anyone else take the glory," Jett mused slowly. "This is going to be a disaster if we don't stop it. Not only will Moore die, but we'll lose everything he's gathered on Death Watch, and we won't have another chance to get that intel. They'll be too cautious after that."

"Oh and it gets worse," Kadira said grimly. "According to Dain, Shaen Mog's biggest goal was to earn glory and honor in the old way, through conquest and defeating enemies. He started by working his way up through our people, starting with Mandalorians who were less skilled or who were injured or out of practice. He wanted to make sure he understood how we fought, what our strategies are… But then he stumbled across the other infiltrator, the one who was killed. Mog was young at the time, so apparently he simply mentioned it to another Death Watch member rather than taking it in on his own. But everything we have points to the idea that Mog was present when the infiltrator was murdered. And my guess is, he realized that there was more glory in the eyes of his peers for taking out men like this."

"But this is all guesswork," Jett protested, holding up one hand.

"Educated guesswork leading up to something. Bear with me, it helps if I talk it out," Kadira said. "Thanks to Alaida's intel and Jonika's further research, we know Shaen has been working his way towards two goals ever since the infiltrator's death. The first is still the same - to earn glory through conquest and killing. He's just doing it a different way now."

"And the second?"

"…Revenge," Kadira said finally, looking up to Iam. As she continued to speak, her gaze stayed fixed on his. "Revenge against the man who killed his _buir_…"

* * *

Jett let out a slow breath and turned to look at Iam, his gaze searching.

Iam let out a breath, running one hand over his face. "I had no idea he was Death Watch at the time. Just that he was trying to kill me and I had better kill him first. I got lucky, got a shot off before he did... Jonika's discovery was the first time I even knew he had been targeting other Mandalorians, taking them out in ways that no one would suspect to be anything out of the ordinary. It makes sense now, looking back. I'd made a name for myself in the bounty hunting world, but I wasn't famous enough that people would talk. He planned it well. I remember admiring how easily he had walked me into a trap, making me think it was my own idea."

"Shaen's signature as well," Jett murmured, nodding as he made the connections.

"And it's more than just that," Kadira added with a sigh. "There are whispers that Mog is going to try something big, something that will bring him 'untold glory' and all that other _osik_ that tends to accompany Death Watch speeches. But we don't know what exactly he's doing. All we know is that Moore is the first step… If we can stop this here and now, we might be able to prevent something even worse from coming along later."

There was silence in the room for a moment before Laniff spoke for the first time, his voice low.

"_Kad'ika_… Who was the last infiltrator? The one who died?"

Kadira bit her lip and Jett frowned, wondering at her hesitation.

"Iam?" she said finally, handing the question to him.

Iam sighed and ran one hand through his hair, looking to Laniff apologetically. He didn't say a word, but Laniff let out an explosive breath and looked away, obviously struggling to control his features.

"It was my _buir_," he said finally, his voice so strained that Jett tensed, expecting the other man to explode. He had never seen Laniff so dangerous looking, as if he was holding onto reality by a thread.

Iam simply nodded as if he sensed words would send Laniff over the edge. Laniff turned on his heel, leaving the room without a word. Kadira started to follow, but Iam shook his head, holding out a hand to stop her.

"Give him some time, _ad'ika_. He needs to process this first. After that we can keep him from doing anything stupid."

Kadira hesitated a moment, glancing between Iam and the door, her expression conflicted. Finally, she nodded.

"I'll get our coordinates set," she said finally, glancing back to the door once more before sighing and turning towards the cockpit.

"Will Laniff be alright?" Jett asked quietly once the door hissed shut behind Kadira.

Iam looked up, his expression grim.

"He will be," the older man replied finally, his voice firm and unyielding. "Even if I have to drag him away from this with my bare hands and lock him in the _bastion_ until it's all over, he will be."

* * *

_A/N: So as an apology for the long delay, this chapter is longer than usual... Hopefully it was still worth the wait, and apologies for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I was fighting Writer's Block, then left on vacation for a bit. So as always, thanks for waiting, I greatly appreciate any thoughts, ideas, reviews, etc that you want to leave me!_


	14. Chapter 14

"Why me?"

Zarah looked up from her study of the flames, not surprised when Caida finally spoke aloud. The other woman had been brooding for hours and Zarah had left her to it, knowing Caida would talk when she was ready.

"…Wanna finish that thought, or do you want me to start guessing? It would certainly pass the time," Zarah replied calmly, looking back to the fire and poking it with a stick.

"Why would Mog target me?" Caida asked, ignoring Zarah's attempt at humor. "I haven't been up against him, and I'm nowhere near Kadira so it wasn't even a convenient shot…"

Zarah frowned, looking up. "You _were_ her partner-"

"But Mog had to travel a long way to get here. It wasn't as if I was with Kadira's crew and he saw an opportunity. It took more planning than that… and Kadira said she hit him at least once on Coruscant, which means he had to have at least been injured-"

"You sure about that? _Beskar's_ pretty heavy stuff you know," Zarah interrupted, lifting one eyebrow. She wasn't being contrary on purpose; she was simply throwing out thoughts as they came to her, trying to help Caida think through her theories in greater detail.

"It's heavy, but even heavy armor doesn't stop bruising. And he was hit at close range. He'd still be in a fairly good amount of pain, so coming all the way to Corellia wouldn't have been just an afterthought. If it were me, I'd have headed to a med center, not Corellia to try another hit."

Zarah tilted her head in acknowledgement of the point. She knew Kadira's weaponry fairly well, as she supplied most of the parts for it. It wasn't a stretch to think it would cause at least some sort of damage, even to someone wearing the Mandalorian _beskar'gam_.

"Alright, I can believe that. Continue, please," Zarah saw Caida's lifted eyebrow and matched the expression with one of her own. "Well go on, don't leave me hanging. You can't just throw a thought out there and then abandon it."

Caida made a face, but was apparently too distracted by her thoughts to come up with a comeback.

"The point is, why come after me? He could have gone after one of Kadira's Mandalorian buddies, or one of her underworld contacts, but he came after me. Specifically."

Zarah frowned, poking the stick into the fire and watching the coals turn cherry red before they faded back into a dull orange.

"Perhaps… Perhaps we're looking at this wrong," she mused, twirling the stick slowly. Sparks flew from the fire and faded into the darkness of the cave, but she didn't pay them any mind except to brush a stray one off her jacket sleeve.

"What do you mean?" Caida asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

"We're assuming Mog is picking his own targets… But you have a point. How would he know about you? Kadira left her past behind when she became a Mando. Her name is different, her beliefs are different. All she held onto were the Corellian bloodstripes, and even those are under her armor. Mog would have needed to do a lot of research to discover who she was tied to back when she was still in Corellian SpecOps. There would have been a trail, someone he talked to, someone who would have known Kadira's past well enough to point him at you."

"The only ones with that knowledge would be Iam Sal or Laniff Dreysel," Caida supplied.

"And even they didn't know about you before everything that went down with Jett," Zarah agreed, nodding slowly. "You need to go back further. Someone who knew you back in the day, who could point Mog at you knowing it would hit Kadira personally. We need to look at it from the angle of Mog being just the agent, not the one picking the targets."

Caida was silent for a moment, gazing into the flames absently. Zarah remained silent, letting Caida think through her contacts without interruption. When the other woman let out a long breath, Zarah lifted an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Figure something out?"

"Spike," Caida answered finally, scowling. "He's the only one who fits."

"We'd better get in touch with Kadira," Zarah said, rising to her feet and tossing the stick into the fire. "If we're right, she's going to need all the warning she can get."

* * *

Kadira rubbed both hands over her face as she waited for the _Vanguard's_ navicomputer to plot a hyperspace route. She felt like everything was spiraling out of control faster than she could stop it, and being trapped aboard the _Vanguard_ as support instead of being in the field was only making it more difficult.

She was most worried about Laniff. She'd seen him go over the edge before, and now he was dangerously close to doing so again. Kadira sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head against her palms as she waited.

A faint beeping caught her attention and she turned, frowning as she answered the comm channel. Zarah's form sprang to life on the holograph viewer and Kadira squinted at the image, trying not to groan. Zarah wouldn't have commed her unless something serious was happening.

"Please don't tell me Mog's contacts found you, Zarah," Kadira said by way of greeting, running one hand through her hair tiredly.

Zarah snorted in reply, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting one dark eyebrow at Kadira.

_::Please. I am nowhere near that sloppy, bucket-head,::_ the Mirilian replied dismissively, her quick grin softening the insult 'bucket-head' would otherwise have been_. ::Besides, I have something much more interesting to tell you. Caida and I have been brainstorming a bit to stave off the darkness of pure and utter boredom, and we have a bit of a theory.::_

It was Kadira's turn to lift an eyebrow.

"What sort of theory?"

_::One that doesn't bode well. I won't rehash the entire line of thought, but in short we think Spike might be involved in this whole fiasco…::_  
Zarah fell silent as Kadira slowly closed her eyes, pressing her lips together as she let the information process.

"Go on," Kadira urged finally, keeping her eyes closed. She felt like if she opened them she'd _see_ her world falling apart.

Zarah hesitated a moment before continuing warily,_ ::No one else would have known to target Caida to get to you. Unless you have a few contacts or buddies within your Mando culture who may have let something slip?::_

The last words were almost hopeful, but Kadira shook her head.

"I don't really talk about my time on Corellia. It's called _cin vhetin_, 'white snow'. Means everyone gets a clean slate when they become Mando, so no one really asks… _Shab_," Kadira cursed softly, opening her eyes and letting out a slow breath. "We need to dig further back now, back to when Spike first appeared… This makes everything ten times more complicated."

_::I'd say twenty. Especially since you now have an Imp Snoop on board your ship, and Spike just so happens to have been a Snoop too.::_

Kadira winced. "I hadn't missed that detail, believe me… but she's our only lead to Mog."

_::Not saying you should dump her out the airlock,:: _Zarah agreed_. ::I'm just saying to keep a close eye on her. Nothing's more dangerous than a cornered Nexu.::_

Kadira smiled wryly. "A Nexu, huh?"

Zarah shrugged. _::I was going to say house cat, but I decided Nexu was more fitting. Cats at least have some redeeming qualities.::_

Kadira couldn't help but smile as she shook her head. "Thanks for the heads-up, Zarah. I appreciate it."

_::Anytime. I'll let you know if we think of anything else…. And Kadira?::_

"What?"

_::Hurry up and get better, would you? It's freaking me out to see you without all that armor.::_

* * *

Ran sighed and leaned his weight against the small table in the _Vanguard's_ tactical room as he scanned the data before him.

"Jonika? Go through those spaceport records again. Something doesn't feel right."

_::You do realize I've been through those three times? And that they're _almost_ as boring as watching paint dry? …Actually, I take it back. I'd rather watch paint dry.::_

"Just do it, Jonika," Ran replied, exasperated. "This is starting to feel too easy. For something that was supposed to be a 'covert op', there's an awful lot of intel out there for us to find."

_::Mandos aren't exactly subtle, cityboy. They probably don't even have a word for subtle in 'Mando-ese', or whatever they speak.::_

"It's called _Mando'a_," Ran corrected absently, rubbing his chin with one hand. "They're brash, Jonika, not stupid. Besides, they have more military experience in one finger than any other culture as a whole. If anyone could pull off something like this without a trace, it would be them."

_::Do you see conspiracies everywhere you look, Scorlo?::_

Ran chuckled. "Mostly. Just look over those records, Jonika… It's starting to feel like someone _wants_ us to find all of this."

Jonika was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again her tone was distracted.

_::So… You think maybe we're being led on a fancy trail here? Mog would need some serious slicing skills if that were the case. Everything we've found looks completely legit.::_

"Mog's resources are proving more expansive than I would have even imagined before. A skilled slicer wouldn't be that much of a stretch," Ran replied.

_::Alright… It's a nice theory, but there's a gaping hole in it... Mog attacked Dain to keep you lot from finding out his whereabouts, and yet suddenly we think he may have hired a top-notch slicer to plant documents leading us to his master plan? It would've been easier for him to just let you take Dain without a fight, let you think it hadn't occurred to him. This is too much smoke-and-mirrors. He's Death Watch, not an Imp.::_

Ran frowned at the last sentence, a nagging doubt he'd been ignoring rising to the surface once more. It wasn't the type of thing _Mog_ might do… But Spike had been off their radar for an awfully long time, and he was the type to play the long game. Ran knew for a fact the man was capable of manipulation, after all Ran had been the one to teach him exactly how to do it… But why use Mog? All that had done was lead them to Dain, someone Spike would most likely be trying to protect, not place in harm's way.

_::Ran?::_ this time the voice coming over the comm was Kadira's, jarring Ran out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ran replied, sharper than he'd intended to.

::_Retract the claws, _vod_. I've got some intel for you from Caida. I'm coming down to tell you in person.::_

"You can't tell me over the comm?" Ran asked, curious now.

_::I'd rather you heard the recording in full. Besides, you've been hiding out in that room by yourself for long enough. You need actual company, if only for a few minutes.::_

Ran chuckled. "Fine, but make it quick. I've got a lot of intel to sort through here, including what little Iam is giving me on Moore."

Kadira must have caught the irritation in his voice, for her own was amused.

_::He's just protecting his _vod_, cityboy. He'll tell you what you need to know, you'll just have to work within those confines. Think of it as a challenge.::_

Ran snorted. "Right. Get down here already, I've got work to do."

* * *

Shaen let out a string of curses as his contact fell silent on the other end of the comm, apparently unwilling to risk raising Shaen's ire further.

"You're sure?" Shaen snapped. "Absolutely certain?"

_::Positive_, alor. _They're on your trail and headed to find Moore. They must have been tipped off somehow, but there's no trace in our records of who might be feeding them intel.::_

Shaen's laugh was bitter. "Oh I know exactly who is tipping them off. Spike never could pass up the idea of playing a game with a long-term goal, the _shabuir_."

Mog sighed, tipping his helmeted head back and going over what he knew in his head. Spike had a personal grudge against Kadira Sal, so why back out on a deal that struck at her? Shaen frowned. Except... Kadira was already out of the game, maybe even permanently, depending on her wound and the treatment she was able to get. Continuing down this road would probably only anger her further, make her look past her injury and her target's death in order to lash out at the person who had caused it. It's exactly what Mog would have done, and he had a hunch Kadira would be the same way. Different as they were, they had that much in common.

Shaen suddenly opened his eyes, his body going rigid as realization dawned. He was asking the wrong question. Spike had already landed his blow against Kadira, first with the togruta's death and then with Kadira's injury. The better question was why was Spike still keeping up the façade of helping? There was no reason for it… Unless there was something Spike wanted more than Kadira.

"Start looking into Kadira's crew. Look deep, not just on the surface. I want to know everything about them. Spike's not looking to go after Kadira," Shaen smiled.

Spike had tipped his hand by using the exact same method he'd advised Mog to use. Make it look like something personal was the target, when in fact the reason was much, much more complex.

"How did you discover the leak?" he asked his contact.

_::One of our slicers stumbled onto it about an hour ago. He noticed something in the code that seemed off, and he found the leak.::_

"Then Spike wanted us to know about it, wanted us to trace it back to him… He wants out of this now. His game is set, and he's about to fade into the shadows to watch from a safe distance," Shaen mused.

_::What's our next move?::_ his contact asked finally.

"We give Spike what he wants for now. Let him think we're fooled by his little game. I'll comm him and fire him, that way he can watch from a distance."

_::He won't leave any loose ends,_ alor_,:: _his contact warned.

"Not if he knows those loose ends are there. Spike thinks Mandos and Death Watch can't plan just as well as he can. But we're about to prove him wrong… I want you to get a hold of the others. It's time we started putting our long-term plans into effect."

His contact signed off and Shaen leaned against the table, tapping his fingers against the wood speculatively. Slowly, he began to smile again, tracing a plan in his mind that even Spike wouldn't see coming.

He had warned Spike not to play with him, and now he was about to carry out the sentence that went with crossing him.

* * *

Laniff didn't look up when Kadira entered the darkened room but she saw him stiffen ever so slightly. All she could see of him was his silhouette, though it hardly mattered. His helmet was still on, so she couldn't have read his expression anyway as she settled into a chair behind him. Leaving the lights off, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, ignoring the twinge in her back as she did so. Her injury was behaving exactly as Gilamar had predicted, and she was determined to learn to live with the long-term effects. She'd have to if she ever wanted to go out into the field again.

"What, Kad?" Laniff asked finally, his tone brusque.

"We'll be touching down planet-side in a couple of hours… "Kadira replied softly, her rasping voice barely audible. When he didn't answer, she sighed. "You've been holed up in here for hours, _vod_."

Laniff's laugh was bitter and Kadira winced. This side of him was so unlike the Laniff she knew.

"I just found out we're being hunted by the man who led my _buir_ to his death, Kadira. Forgive me if I'm not feeling all that sociable. Now is there something you needed?" his words were harsh and Kadira didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the back of his helmeted head silently. She knew he could see her with his HUD's wraparound and night vision, and she was determined not to leave him alone in his rage and grief.

When he shifted uncomfortably, Kadira finally spoke.

"...I'm afraid, Laniff. Not for me. Not of Mog, or Dain, or even Spike... I'm afraid of what this is doing to you. I haven't seen you like this since I first came to Mandalore and you disappeared for a year on your hunt…" she waited to see if he would respond. When he stayed silent, she continued. "When you came back it was like you were a different person. I didn't even know if I should still call you my _vod_, because it was like I didn't even know who you were anymore."

The words, simple as they were, had a profound effect on him. He went utterly still, his only movement the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.

"I just don't want to see you drown in this, _vod'ika_. That's why you have family, why you have us... This isn't just your battle, you know. It never has been. It's mine too. And Iam's."

"You never even knew him," Laniff spoke finally, his voice raw.

"But I know his son, and that is a man I would do anything for. He's my _ori'vod_. My big brother."

Kadira rose and crossed the room, placing one hand on Laniff's shoulder. He still didn't turn, but she could tell he was listening at last.

"I need you for this, _vod_, and you need me. If you're not ready for this, if you don't think you can handle it yet, then we grab Moore and we haul jets. I don't even care if we get Mog. I just want my _vod_ and my team safe."

"He won't stop going after Iam," Laniff pointed out.

"So we hand over everything we have on Mog to _Mand'alor_ Shysa. Even if we back off this case, Mog will still be brought in eventually. He can't keep running forever," Kadira replied.

"I thought you wanted to take him down yourself."

Kadira sighed. "I do. I want to make sure he doesn't walk away from what he did to Kahlse on Coruscant… but it's not worth the lives of my team. If I have to choose between losing my _vod_ and letting Mog go for now, then I will back down. We can grab Moore and be gone before Mog even has time to show up. Jonika can dig deeper to find any intel Mog might have on your _buir's_ death, and we can go after it as a team."

Laniff let out a slow breath. "…What does Iam think?"

"He agrees," Kadira responded. "We're willing to be behind you on this. We can put a hold on everything else, focus all our resources on finding your _buir's_ killer once we've gotten Moore to safety. Mog is always the one yanking us around, maybe it's time we stopped him in his tracks and pulled a good old _baslan shev'la_ trick."

"And Ran?"

"Ran can stick his head up the exhaust pipe if he has a problem with it. Last I checked the _Vanguard_ is still my ship."

Laniff chuckled slightly, nodding. "…I need to find the one who actually killed my _buir, Kad'ika_," he said finally. "Not get drawn into Mog's games."

Kadira nodded, ignoring the sinking feeling in her chest. She had a very bad feeling about letting Mog go, but she meant every word she'd told Laniff. Her _vod_ were more important, and Shysa could easily set multiple teams of Mandos on Mog's trail.

"Then we'll go after the _shabuir_ just as soon as we get Moore out of here in one piece,."

* * *

_A/N: Phew! Sorry for the super-long delay on this one. School is back and demanding most of my time and attention, and Writer's Block has been hounding me for the past month or so. _

_As always, I'd love to hear thoughts/opinions!_


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